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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: band · charge · suit · march · tube · calf · rule · sharp

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. suit — in cards
  3. band — a music group
  4. march — music
  5. charge — in control
  6. suit — clothes
  7. rule — government
  8. march — the month
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. charge — a price
  12. rule — a law
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. tube — the underground
  15. suit — to fit
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. tube — a container
  18. march — the month
  19. band — a ring
  20. sharp — clever
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. charge — electricity

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