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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. plane — a tool
  5. content — the amount
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. court — of law
  9. court — of a king
  10. charge — a price
  11. content — happy
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. charge — in control
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. track — a path
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. track — a song
  20. court — for sport
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. track — to keep track
  24. patient — a sick person

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