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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: rash · land · march · pass · mark · charge · mate · rule

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. land — to come down
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. rash — a series
  6. charge — a price
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. land — a country
  9. pass — a permit
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. mark — a trace
  12. march — the month
  13. rule — a law
  14. mark — a grade
  15. charge — in control
  16. mate — a partner
  17. rash — hasty
  18. charge — electricity
  19. march — music
  20. march — the month
  21. land — ground
  22. rule — government
  23. mate — a friend
  24. pass — to spend time

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