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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: march · mark · key · kid · toast · fan · charge · rush

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. march — the month
  3. charge — in control
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. key — in music
  6. mark — a trace
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. charge — a price
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. mark — a grade
  13. charge — electricity
  14. key — the most important part
  15. march — music
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. march — the month
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. kid — child
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. toast — bread
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. key — for a lock
  24. rush — hurry

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