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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. charge — a price
  4. game — wild animals
  5. charge — electricity
  6. scale — in music
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. bear — the animal
  9. charge — in control
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. clip — to cut
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. season — of the year
  18. clip — a video
  19. season — in sport
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. scale — size or range
  22. bear — the animal
  23. clip — for paper
  24. game — a match

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