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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — the month
  3. scale — size or range
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — a stick
  6. staff — employees
  7. march — music
  8. charge — electricity
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bat — the animal
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. charge — a price
  15. rush — hurry
  16. lean — to bend
  17. bore — to drill
  18. lean — thin
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. charge — in control
  22. scale — in music
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. bore — to tire

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