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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. charge — in control
  3. present — there
  4. charge — a price
  5. fine — high quality
  6. net — after costs
  7. net — for catching
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. net — in sport
  10. wax — to grow
  11. charge — electricity
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. present — the time now
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. stock — goods
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. present — a gift
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. fine — all right
  22. plane — a tool
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. stock — shares

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