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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 120 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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. march — music
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. board — to get on
  5. board — a committee
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. march — the month
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. pass — a permit
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. charge — a price
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. cell — a phone
  14. rush — hurry
  15. scale — in music
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. scale — size or range
  19. cell — in biology
  20. charge — electricity
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. march — the month
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. lash — an eyelash

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