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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 120 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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. row — to paddle
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. bore — to drill
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rash — hasty
  7. march — music
  8. band — a ring
  9. march — the month
  10. band — a music group
  11. charge — electricity
  12. charge — in control
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. rock — music
  15. march — the month
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. bore — to tire
  18. mate — to breed
  19. row — a line
  20. mate — a friend
  21. rock — a stone
  22. mate — a partner
  23. rash — a series
  24. bore — gave birth

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