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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 116 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: coach · march · charge · ground · pitcher · row · ruler · bore

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. charge — a price
  3. row — to paddle
  4. ground — a position
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. march — the month
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. march — the month
  9. march — music
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bore — to drill
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. ground — crushed
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. charge — electricity
  16. ground — the earth
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. row — a line
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bore — to tire
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. charge — in control

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