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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 116 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: charge · bowl · march · land · rush · court · drill · bay

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. land — ground
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. march — the month
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. land — a country
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. march — the month
  10. charge — a price
  11. drill — army training
  12. march — music
  13. land — to come down
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. court — for sport
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. drill — a practice
  20. charge — in control
  21. charge — electricity
  22. drill — the tool
  23. court — of a king
  24. bay — a horse colour

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