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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 120 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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. game — wild animals
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. charge — a price
  5. march — the month
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. game — a match
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. charge — electricity
  13. march — the month
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. craft — a skill
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. pitch — completely
  18. last — to go on
  19. march — music
  20. craft — boats
  21. last — finally
  22. last — final
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. patient — a sick person

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