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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. kid — child
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. charge — electricity
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. mark — a trace
  9. game — wild animals
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. lean — to bend
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. kid — to tease
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. charge — a price
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. mark — a grade
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. lean — thin
  24. game — a match

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