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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. land — to come down
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. charge — electricity
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. charge — in control
  7. craft — boats
  8. craft — a skill
  9. land — ground
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. land — a country
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. fine — all right
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. mine — for digging
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. fine — high quality
  24. mine — an explosive

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