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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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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: perch · spring · pit · charge · drill · bank · rule · march

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. march — the month
  3. spring — the season
  4. march — music
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. march — the month
  7. charge — in control
  8. drill — army training
  9. bank — of a river
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. bank — for money
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. drill — a practice
  15. spring — of water
  16. rule — government
  17. charge — a price
  18. spring — a coil
  19. pit — in a race
  20. drill — the tool
  21. bank — for money
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — the fish
  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