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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rash · safe · sharp · hide · march · bat · charge · stock

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. charge — a price
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. sharp — clever
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. charge — in control
  10. stock — shares
  11. stock — goods
  12. bat — the animal
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. rash — hasty
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. rash — a series
  17. charge — electricity
  18. march — the month
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. march — the month
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — out of danger

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