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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  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. charge — electricity
  2. march — the month
  3. craft — a skill
  4. scale — size or range
  5. charge — a price
  6. club — a group
  7. root — the cause
  8. club — for dancing
  9. march — the month
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. root — of a word
  14. club — for golf
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. scale — in music
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. march — music
  20. root — of a plant
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. craft — boats
  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