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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. charge — a price
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. charge — electricity
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bat — the animal
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. row — a line
  12. object — an aim
  13. object — a thing
  14. row — to paddle
  15. charge — in control
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. saw — the tool
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. chip — to eat
  20. chip — for betting
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. object — to protest

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