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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.

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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: charge · chair · key · foot · band · craft · fork · march

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. fork — in a road
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. charge — electricity
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. march — music
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. march — the month
  10. charge — a price
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. craft — boats
  13. band — a music group
  14. key — for a lock
  15. foot — a measure
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. key — the most important part
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. charge — in control
  21. band — a ring
  22. chair — a leader
  23. key — in music
  24. craft — a skill

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