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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. club — for dancing
  4. prune — to trim
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. net — for catching
  8. charge — in control
  9. charge — electricity
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. prune — to trim
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. club — for golf
  16. net — in sport
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. chair — a leader
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. net — after costs
  22. club — a group
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. charge — a price

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