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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. charge — electricity
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. charge — in control
  5. root — of a word
  6. march — the month
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. current — electric
  9. current — of water
  10. charge — a price
  11. root — the cause
  12. toast — bread
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. current — happening now
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. spring — of water
  17. march — the month
  18. root — of a plant
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. chair — a leader
  21. spring — the season
  22. spring — a coil
  23. stock — goods
  24. stock — shares

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