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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. rash — a series
  3. charge — in control
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. cue — for pool
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. track — to keep track
  8. charge — a price
  9. cue — a hint
  10. cue — a signal
  11. court — for sport
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. court — of a king
  14. wound — an injury
  15. court — of law
  16. track — a path
  17. charge — electricity
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. track — a song
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. wound — an injury

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