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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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468
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 · straw · bay · fine · charge · staff · mouse · pitch

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. charge — a price
  5. charge — electricity
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. charge — in control
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. pitch — completely
  11. fine — all right
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. staff — a stick
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. march — the month
  16. fine — high quality
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. staff — employees
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. march — the month
  22. staff — employees
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. pitch — a sports field

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