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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cue — for pool
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. band — a ring
  6. object — to protest
  7. ground — the earth
  8. ground — crushed
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bat — the animal
  11. cue — a hint
  12. roll — a cake
  13. charge — in control
  14. object — an aim
  15. roll — a list
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. band — a music group
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — electricity
  22. ground — a position
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. object — a thing

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