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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.

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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: charge · court · board · ball · fine · track · band · rule

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. charge — in control
  3. charge — electricity
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. court — of law
  6. fine — all right
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. board — a committee
  9. fine — high quality
  10. band — a ring
  11. charge — a price
  12. board — to get on
  13. rule — government
  14. court — for sport
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ball — a great time
  17. track — to keep track
  18. track — a song
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. track — a path
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. court — of a king
  23. rule — a law
  24. band — a music group

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