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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fork · key · bass · march · charge · saw

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bass — the fish
  3. march — the month
  4. fork — in a road
  5. charge — in control
  6. key — the most important part
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. key — in music
  9. charge — a price
  10. saw — the tool
  11. charge — electricity
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bass — low music
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. march — the month
  17. key — for a lock
  18. march — music

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