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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 120 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 · bark · foot · spring · ground · charge · drill · rule

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. drill — army training
  3. drill — a practice
  4. spring — the season
  5. foot — a measure
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. drill — the tool
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. charge — electricity
  10. rule — a law
  11. march — the month
  12. rule — government
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. ground — a position
  16. ground — crushed
  17. spring — a coil
  18. ground — the earth
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. march — music
  21. spring — of water
  22. march — the month
  23. charge — in control
  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