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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. march — music
  6. charge — electricity
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. pit — in a race
  9. band — a music group
  10. march — the month
  11. pit — a hole
  12. band — a ring
  13. shower — rain
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. shower — to wash
  17. club — for dancing
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. club — for golf
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. march — the month
  22. charge — in control
  23. pass — a permit
  24. club — a group

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