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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 · present · mark · fine · court · staff · current · charge

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. charge — a price
  3. fine — all right
  4. mark — a trace
  5. present — there
  6. current — of water
  7. march — the month
  8. charge — electricity
  9. court — of law
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. march — the month
  12. staff — a stick
  13. staff — employees
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. fine — high quality
  16. current — electric
  17. march — music
  18. mark — a grade
  19. court — for sport
  20. staff — employees
  21. current — happening now
  22. charge — in control
  23. present — a gift
  24. present — the time now

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