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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. branch — a division
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bore — to tire
  6. march — the month
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. bore — to drill
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. charge — in control
  13. capital — money
  14. march — the month
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. charge — electricity
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. capital — a city
  22. pass — a permit
  23. march — music
  24. bore — gave birth

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