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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: ball · staff · toast · fork · march · hide · bear · charge

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. toast — bread
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. staff — employees
  6. charge — in control
  7. march — the month
  8. march — the month
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. ball — a great time
  11. march — music
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. charge — a price
  15. ball — a dance
  16. fork — in a road
  17. bear — the animal
  18. staff — a stick
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. staff — employees
  22. bear — the animal
  23. charge — electricity
  24. hide — to keep secret

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