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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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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: kick · rest · march · drill · fork · stock · arm · charge

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. charge — in control
  4. stock — shares
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. charge — electricity
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. charge — a price
  10. drill — a practice
  11. rest — what's left
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. rest — what's left
  15. march — the month
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. drill — the tool
  18. kick — in football
  19. fork — in a road
  20. drill — army training
  21. stock — goods
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. rest — a break
  24. march — the month

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