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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: rule · wind · charge · field · coach · root · wax · march

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. march — the month
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. wind — moving air
  6. charge — electricity
  7. charge — a price
  8. march — the month
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wax — to grow
  11. rule — a law
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. field — a subject
  14. field — farmland
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. field — for sport
  18. march — music
  19. root — the cause
  20. charge — in control
  21. root — of a plant
  22. wind — moving air
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. rule — government

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