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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: bore · game · band · charge · drill · file · object · march

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. charge — electricity
  3. drill — army training
  4. charge — a price
  5. file — a tool
  6. game — wild animals
  7. drill — the tool
  8. march — the month
  9. object — a thing
  10. file — a document
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. march — the month
  13. bore — to drill
  14. band — a ring
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. object — to protest
  17. charge — in control
  18. band — a music group
  19. march — music
  20. game — a match
  21. object — an aim
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. file — a line of people
  24. bore — to tire

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