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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. drill — a practice
  3. swing — to play on
  4. bank — for money
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. firm — steady
  7. swing — music
  8. drill — the tool
  9. swing — in golf
  10. bank — for money
  11. charge — a price
  12. drill — army training
  13. bank — of a river
  14. game — wild animals
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. firm — decided
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. march — music
  19. charge — in control
  20. march — the month
  21. game — a match
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. march — the month
  24. charge — electricity

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