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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. present — a gift
  3. present — the time now
  4. charge — a price
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. stock — shares
  7. march — the month
  8. charge — electricity
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. capital — a city
  11. march — the month
  12. rest — what's left
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. rest — what's left
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. rest — a break
  17. stock — goods
  18. present — there
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. capital — money
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. charge — in control

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com