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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. toast — bread
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. charge — in control
  8. drill — a practice
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. charge — a price
  11. charge — electricity
  12. mine — for digging
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. drill — army training
  15. drill — the tool
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. march — the month
  20. branch — a division
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. march — music
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. fork — in a road

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