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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: march · sharp · fan · rash · board · cell · charge · band

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. sharp — clever
  3. rash — a series
  4. charge — electricity
  5. band — a music group
  6. cell — a phone
  7. charge — a price
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. band — a ring
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. march — the month
  15. rash — hasty
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. march — music
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. board — a committee
  20. charge — in control
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. march — the month
  24. board — to get on

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