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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.

Make a worksheet

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: prune · hide · ball · charge · file · march · ruler · row

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. ball — a dance
  3. march — music
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. row — to paddle
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. prune — to trim
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. file — a tool
  13. charge — electricity
  14. march — the month
  15. ball — a great time
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. file — a line of people
  18. march — the month
  19. prune — to trim
  20. row — a line
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. file — a document
  23. charge — a price
  24. ruler — for measuring

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