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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. present — the time now
  3. club — a group
  4. charge — electricity
  5. squash — to crush
  6. present — there
  7. club — for golf
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. charge — in control
  11. charge — a price
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. squash — the sport
  14. present — a gift
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cap — a hat
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. hand — help
  19. cap — a lid
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. club — for dancing
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. saw — the tool

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