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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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. charge — a price
  3. lean — thin
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. march — the month
  7. fine — all right
  8. charge — in control
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. staff — employees
  14. saw — the tool
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. march — the month
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. staff — employees
  19. lean — to bend
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. saw — the tool
  23. charge — electricity
  24. staff — a stick

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