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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. rock — a stone
  3. charge — electricity
  4. march — the month
  5. march — music
  6. bank — for money
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. march — the month
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bank — for money
  12. kid — child
  13. rush — hurry
  14. bank — of a river
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. charge — a price
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. rock — music
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. charge — in control

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