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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. charge — electricity
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. pass — a permit
  7. track — a song
  8. hand — in cards
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. hand — help
  11. capital — a city
  12. track — a path
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. charge — in control
  16. track — to keep track
  17. fork — in a road
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. kick — in football
  20. capital — money
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. charge — a price
  23. fork — to eat with
  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