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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: rule · file · kick · charge · stock · arm · court · plane

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. plane — a tool
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. court — of a king
  5. court — for sport
  6. stock — goods
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. rule — government
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. stock — shares
  12. file — a document
  13. charge — a price
  14. kick — in football
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. file — a tool
  17. file — a line of people
  18. court — of law
  19. charge — in control
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. rule — a law
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. rule — to rule out

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