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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. charge — in control
  3. charge — a price
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. row — a line
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. stock — shares
  9. rock — a stone
  10. date — the fruit
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. stock — goods
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. rock — music
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. spring — of water
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. spring — a coil
  19. row — to paddle
  20. spring — the season
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. charge — electricity
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  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