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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: mine · bay · charge · file · rule · branch · cap · march

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. file — a line of people
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. charge — electricity
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. file — a document
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. cap — a hat
  9. file — a tool
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. mine — for digging
  12. charge — a price
  13. cap — of ice
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. rule — government
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. march — the month
  18. march — the month
  19. cap — a lid
  20. charge — in control
  21. march — music
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. rule — a law
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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