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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.

Words on the sheet
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: degree · drill · march · fine · rush · charge · tube · saw

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. charge — electricity
  3. drill — army training
  4. tube — a container
  5. degree — an amount
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. march — music
  8. march — the month
  9. degree — from a university
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. fine — all right
  13. charge — a price
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. saw — the tool
  16. fine — high quality
  17. drill — a practice
  18. saw — the tool
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. degree — temperature
  21. tube — the underground
  22. rush — hurry
  23. drill — the tool
  24. charge — in control

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