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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. mark — a trace
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. march — music
  5. board — to get on
  6. file — a tool
  7. charge — a price
  8. march — the month
  9. charge — electricity
  10. march — the month
  11. charge — in control
  12. board — a committee
  13. chair — a leader
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. file — a document
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. present — a gift
  19. mark — a grade
  20. present — the time now
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. present — there
  23. bass — the fish
  24. file — a line of people

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