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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. march — the month
  3. charge — electricity
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. foot — a measure
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. bat — the animal
  10. sharp — clever
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. march — the month
  14. pass — a permit
  15. march — music
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. club — for golf
  18. club — a group
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. charge — a price
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. charge — in control
  24. foot — part of the body

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