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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 120 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: charge · can · foot · mouse · row · fan · game · march

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. march — the month
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. march — the month
  6. can — to be able to
  7. charge — electricity
  8. charge — in control
  9. game — wild animals
  10. can — a tin
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. march — music
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. game — a match
  16. can — a tin
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. row — to paddle
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. row — a line
  22. charge — a price
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. foot — a measure

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