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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 116 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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  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 — electricity
  3. cue — a hint
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. cue — for pool
  7. sharp — clever
  8. charge — a price
  9. cue — a signal
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. prune — to trim
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. prune — to trim
  17. pop — soda
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. pop — music
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. charge — in control
  23. pop — to visit
  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