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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: stick · march · present · charge · pit · kick · rock · fine

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. kick — in football
  3. march — the month
  4. rock — music
  5. pit — a hole
  6. present — there
  7. charge — electricity
  8. march — music
  9. fine — high quality
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. fine — all right
  12. rock — a stone
  13. present — a gift
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. charge — in control
  16. march — the month
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. charge — a price
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. present — the time now
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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