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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. march — the month
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. bass — low music
  5. bore — to tire
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. charge — in control
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. chair — a leader
  11. craft — a skill
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bore — to drill
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stem — to come from
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. charge — electricity
  22. charge — a price
  23. craft — boats
  24. march — the month

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