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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: march · swing · ruler · stock · row · charge · nail · ball

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. march — the month
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. stock — goods
  10. row — to paddle
  11. march — the month
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. charge — in control
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. row — a line
  16. stock — shares
  17. swing — in golf
  18. ball — a great time
  19. march — music
  20. swing — to play on
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. swing — music
  23. ball — a dance
  24. charge — a price

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