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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: drill · march · pop · chair · branch · charge · temple · mug

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pop — to visit
  3. march — the month
  4. drill — a practice
  5. drill — the tool
  6. march — the month
  7. mug — a face
  8. branch — a division
  9. pop — soda
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. drill — army training
  12. charge — in control
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. mug — to rob
  15. charge — a price
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. charge — electricity
  18. march — music
  19. chair — a leader
  20. mug — a cup
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. temple — a place of worship

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