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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.

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: club · prune · march · charge · mine · face · board · file

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  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. face — part of the head
  2. march — the month
  3. board — to get on
  4. charge — electricity
  5. march — the month
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. charge — in control
  8. file — a document
  9. club — a group
  10. file — a tool
  11. prune — to trim
  12. charge — a price
  13. prune — to trim
  14. club — for golf
  15. club — for dancing
  16. file — a line of people
  17. face — to point toward
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. face — to confront
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mine — for digging
  22. board — a committee
  23. mine — an explosive
  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