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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: court · march · rule · racket · nail · charge · toast · cabinet

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. charge — a price
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rule — a law
  7. charge — in control
  8. rule — government
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. court — of law
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. charge — electricity
  17. toast — bread
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. court — for sport
  22. court — of a king
  23. march — music
  24. march — the month

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