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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 116 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: march · straw · bulb · bear · pass · club · charge · board

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. march — the month
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. bear — the animal
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. board — a committee
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. charge — electricity
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. march — the month
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bulb — for light
  17. club — for golf
  18. pass — a permit
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. march — music
  21. charge — in control
  22. charge — a price
  23. club — for dancing
  24. club — a group

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