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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. charge — electricity
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. suit — in cards
  5. bank — for money
  6. kick — in football
  7. firm — decided
  8. game — a match
  9. suit — to fit
  10. charge — in control
  11. charge — a price
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. game — wild animals
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. pop — music
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. suit — clothes
  19. firm — steady
  20. pop — soda
  21. firm — a company
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — of a river

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