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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. march — the month
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. present — there
  6. charge — a price
  7. rash — a series
  8. suit — clothes
  9. march — the month
  10. suit — in cards
  11. suit — to fit
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. staff — employees
  14. rash — hasty
  15. present — a gift
  16. net — in sport
  17. present — the time now
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. staff — a stick
  20. net — for catching
  21. march — music
  22. charge — in control
  23. net — after costs
  24. staff — employees

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