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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  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 — the month
  2. charge — a price
  3. march — the month
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. chest — a box
  7. charge — electricity
  8. chest — of your body
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. capital — a city
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. mark — a trace
  14. march — music
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. capital — money
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. roll — a list
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. roll — a cake
  21. mark — a grade
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. chest — of your body
  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