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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: rush · face · safe · track · charge · chair · march · net

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. track — to keep track
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. net — after costs
  6. track — a song
  7. charge — in control
  8. charge — a price
  9. rush — hurry
  10. face — to confront
  11. face — part of the head
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. net — in sport
  14. march — music
  15. chair — a leader
  16. march — the month
  17. net — for catching
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. face — to point toward
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. track — a path
  24. charge — electricity

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