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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: nail · perch · ground · charge · rule · mark · track · march

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. rule — a law
  4. charge — in control
  5. mark — a grade
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. march — music
  8. perch — the fish
  9. charge — a price
  10. march — the month
  11. ground — the earth
  12. march — the month
  13. track — to keep track
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. track — a path
  17. charge — electricity
  18. rule — government
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. ground — crushed
  21. mark — a trace
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. track — a song
  24. mark — to pay attention

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