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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 116 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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pass — a permit
  4. net — in sport
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. fork — in a road
  7. press — newspapers
  8. staff — a stick
  9. hand — in cards
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. charge — a price
  12. charge — electricity
  13. staff — employees
  14. march — the month
  15. press — to push
  16. staff — employees
  17. press — a publisher
  18. charge — in control
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. march — the month
  21. hand — help
  22. net — after costs
  23. net — for catching
  24. pass — to spend time

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