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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: rule · fine · mark · rush · land · scale · charge · fall

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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 grade
  3. rule — a law
  4. charge — a price
  5. fall — the season
  6. land — to come down
  7. land — ground
  8. land — a country
  9. rush — hurry
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. scale — in music
  12. charge — electricity
  13. scale — size or range
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. mark — a trace
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — to drop
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rule — government
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. charge — in control
  23. fine — all right
  24. fine — high quality

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