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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: mate · rule · bound · mark · field · court · charge · rash

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mark — a trace
  3. rule — government
  4. bound — tied together
  5. rule — a law
  6. bound — certain
  7. field — a subject
  8. court — of law
  9. bound — obliged
  10. field — farmland
  11. mate — a partner
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rash — a series
  15. charge — electricity
  16. mate — to breed
  17. court — for sport
  18. mate — a friend
  19. rash — hasty
  20. charge — in control
  21. charge — a price
  22. mark — a grade
  23. court — of a king
  24. field — for sport

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