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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  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. patient — a sick person
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. cap — of ice
  4. net — for catching
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. fork — in a road
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. charge — in control
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. net — after costs
  12. cap — a hat
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. cap — a lid
  15. charge — a price
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. charge — electricity
  21. net — in sport
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. deal — to handle
  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