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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: date · field · fall · ruler · charge · march · leaves · stem

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. charge — a price
  3. march — the month
  4. field — a subject
  5. fall — to drop
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. fall — to drop
  9. march — the month
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. stem — to come from
  12. date — the fruit
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. charge — in control
  17. fall — the season
  18. charge — electricity
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. march — music
  22. field — for sport
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. field — farmland

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