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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  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. mark — a trace
  2. charge — a price
  3. rule — a law
  4. march — music
  5. charge — electricity
  6. march — the month
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. rule — government
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. vault — a safe
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. mark — a grade
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. kid — to tease
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. march — the month
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. kid — child
  20. rush — hurry
  21. bat — the animal
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  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