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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — a price
  3. face — part of the head
  4. rule — government
  5. face — to point toward
  6. march — the month
  7. march — the month
  8. root — of a plant
  9. club — for golf
  10. march — music
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. charge — in control
  13. root — of a word
  14. craft — a skill
  15. last — to go on
  16. club — for dancing
  17. rule — a law
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. craft — boats
  20. last — finally
  21. face — to confront
  22. club — a group
  23. last — final
  24. root — the cause

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