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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. march — music
  3. charge — in control
  4. march — the month
  5. drill — a practice
  6. press — newspapers
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. charge — electricity
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. pound — a weight
  14. press — a publisher
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. drill — the tool
  17. spell — letters
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. charge — a price
  20. march — the month
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. spell — magic
  23. press — to push
  24. spell — a short time

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