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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.

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: key · cold · march · game · jam · charge · pass · mouse

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. march — the month
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. game — a match
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. key — the most important part
  9. game — wild animals
  10. cold — an illness
  11. charge — in control
  12. cold — not warm
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. march — the month
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. charge — a price
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. key — in music
  21. pass — a permit
  22. charge — electricity
  23. key — for a lock
  24. jam — in traffic

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