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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. charge — a price
  6. charge — electricity
  7. pass — a permit
  8. kid — to tease
  9. fine — all right
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. charge — in control
  15. prune — to trim
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fine — high quality
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. kid — child
  24. bowl — to roll

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