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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: charge · pass · pound · kid · safe · march · stand · mate

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. charge — in control
  4. stand — to bear
  5. pass — a permit
  6. mate — to breed
  7. charge — electricity
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. mate — a friend
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. march — the month
  13. kid — to tease
  14. pound — a weight
  15. march — music
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. march — the month
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. kid — child
  20. mate — a partner
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. charge — a price
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. pound — for dogs

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