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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: charge · march · foot · saw · mine · bulb · toast · row

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. charge — in control
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. charge — a price
  8. toast — bread
  9. saw — the tool
  10. charge — electricity
  11. march — the month
  12. foot — a measure
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. bulb — for light
  15. row — a line
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. march — the month
  18. mine — for digging
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. march — music
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. saw — the tool

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