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

Word bank: charge · vault · stand · suit · kid · march

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. vault — a safe
  4. charge — a price
  5. charge — electricity
  6. suit — clothes
  7. suit — in cards
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. suit — to fit
  11. stand — to bear
  12. march — the month
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. kid — to tease
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. march — the month
  17. march — music
  18. charge — in control

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