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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. march — the month
  4. pop — music
  5. stock — goods
  6. drill — a practice
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. charge — electricity
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. march — the month
  14. stock — shares
  15. pop — soda
  16. charge — a price
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. drill — the tool
  19. pass — a permit
  20. march — music
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. drill — army training

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