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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. club — a group
  3. spell — letters
  4. track — a path
  5. spell — a short time
  6. fall — to drop
  7. march — music
  8. current — electric
  9. current — happening now
  10. spell — magic
  11. march — the month
  12. fall — to drop
  13. rest — what's left
  14. charge — in control
  15. rest — what's left
  16. current — of water
  17. club — for dancing
  18. fall — the season
  19. march — the month
  20. rest — a break
  21. track — to keep track
  22. track — a song
  23. charge — electricity
  24. club — for golf

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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