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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 · cabinet · current · march · pit · board · roll · drill

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. drill — a practice
  3. pit — a hole
  4. current — happening now
  5. march — the month
  6. board — a committee
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pit — in a race
  11. charge — in control
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. board — to get on
  14. charge — a price
  15. charge — electricity
  16. drill — the tool
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. drill — army training
  19. current — electric
  20. roll — a cake
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. roll — a list
  23. current — of water
  24. march — the month

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