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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. fall — to drop
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. present — a gift
  6. pop — to visit
  7. charge — a price
  8. pop — music
  9. charge — electricity
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. craft — boats
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. fall — to drop
  15. charge — in control
  16. present — the time now
  17. pop — soda
  18. pitch — completely
  19. present — there
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. fall — the season

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