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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: hand · club · charge · present · rock · content · staff · march

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. present — a gift
  3. charge — electricity
  4. staff — a stick
  5. march — music
  6. charge — a price
  7. rock — a stone
  8. hand — help
  9. hand — in cards
  10. march — the month
  11. content — the amount
  12. club — a group
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. present — the time now
  15. club — for golf
  16. staff — employees
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. rock — music
  19. content — happy
  20. staff — employees
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. present — there
  23. club — for dancing
  24. charge — in control

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