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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: racket · mine · march · arm · foot · pass · charge · wound

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — the month
  3. wound — an injury
  4. charge — in control
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. march — music
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. pass — a permit
  9. charge — a price
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. charge — electricity
  18. foot — a measure
  19. wound — an injury
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. mine — for digging
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. mine — belonging to me

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