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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 · rest · nail · ball · season · shower · fork

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. charge — in control
  3. rest — what's left
  4. march — the month
  5. rest — a break
  6. march — the month
  7. shower — to wash
  8. ball — a dance
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. ball — a great time
  12. charge — electricity
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. march — music
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. shower — rain
  18. charge — a price
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. fork — in a road
  23. season — of the year
  24. season — in sport

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