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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 · mug · arm · pass · pop · sharp · charge · key

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. key — for a lock
  3. sharp — clever
  4. pop — soda
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pop — music
  10. mug — to rob
  11. pass — a permit
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. charge — electricity
  14. march — the month
  15. key — the most important part
  16. charge — a price
  17. march — music
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. charge — in control
  21. march — the month
  22. key — in music
  23. mug — a cup
  24. mug — a face

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