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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 · charge · present · stick · racket · arm · cue · rash

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. march — the month
  3. present — the time now
  4. march — music
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. march — the month
  7. cue — for pool
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. charge — electricity
  11. cue — a hint
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. charge — a price
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. present — a gift
  17. cue — a signal
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. rash — a series
  21. charge — in control
  22. present — there
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. rash — hasty

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