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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 116 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: rule · file · object · club · court · charge · march · prune

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. object — a thing
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. prune — to trim
  5. march — the month
  6. club — a group
  7. charge — a price
  8. court — of a king
  9. court — for sport
  10. rule — government
  11. prune — to trim
  12. charge — in control
  13. club — for dancing
  14. rule — a law
  15. file — a tool
  16. club — for golf
  17. object — to protest
  18. object — an aim
  19. court — of law
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. charge — electricity
  22. file — a line of people
  23. file — a document
  24. march — music

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