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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — a price
  3. rest — a break
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. toast — bread
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. key — the most important part
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. land — to come down
  11. march — music
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. rest — what's left
  15. charge — in control
  16. pass — a permit
  17. wake — a trail
  18. key — in music
  19. key — for a lock
  20. land — a country
  21. land — ground
  22. march — the month
  23. rest — what's left
  24. march — the month

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