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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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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. land — ground
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. mark — a trace
  6. row — to paddle
  7. bulb — for light
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. charge — electricity
  10. land — to come down
  11. mark — a grade
  12. land — a country
  13. rock — music
  14. charge — a price
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. mine — for digging
  18. rock — a stone
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. row — a line
  23. charge — in control
  24. bulb — for light

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