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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: foot · march · drill · net · clip · track · board · charge

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. drill — a practice
  3. clip — a video
  4. drill — the tool
  5. board — to get on
  6. clip — for paper
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. charge — in control
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. net — for catching
  11. charge — a price
  12. march — music
  13. net — after costs
  14. foot — a measure
  15. clip — to cut
  16. track — to keep track
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. drill — army training
  19. charge — electricity
  20. track — a path
  21. track — a song
  22. march — the month
  23. net — in sport
  24. board — a committee

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