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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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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: bore · sharp · pitcher · charge · perch · march · pass · staff

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. charge — a price
  3. staff — employees
  4. charge — in control
  5. march — the month
  6. staff — employees
  7. march — the month
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. sharp — clever
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. pass — a permit
  13. charge — electricity
  14. staff — a stick
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. bore — to tire
  18. march — music
  19. perch — the fish
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bore — to drill
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. pitcher — a jug

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