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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 120 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: wake · wound · key · march · mark · charge · mouse · board

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. charge — in control
  5. mark — a grade
  6. board — a committee
  7. mark — a trace
  8. march — the month
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. key — for a lock
  11. march — the month
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. charge — a price
  14. key — the most important part
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. key — in music
  17. charge — electricity
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. wake — a trail
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. march — music
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. board — to get on
  24. wound — an injury

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