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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: charge · march · ruler · staff · rock · ball · tube · suit

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. march — the month
  4. staff — a stick
  5. tube — a container
  6. staff — employees
  7. charge — electricity
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. march — music
  11. suit — in cards
  12. march — the month
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ball — a great time
  15. suit — clothes
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. tube — the underground
  18. rock — a stone
  19. suit — to fit
  20. staff — employees
  21. rock — music
  22. ball — a dance
  23. charge — in control
  24. ruler — for measuring

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