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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.

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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. rule — a law
  3. tube — a container
  4. rest — what's left
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. charge — in control
  7. cell — in biology
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. cell — a phone
  10. stock — shares
  11. rule — government
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. rest — a break
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rest — what's left
  17. tube — the underground
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. charge — electricity
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. stock — goods
  24. stock — a soup base

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