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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. mug — a face
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bulb — for light
  5. last — final
  6. last — to go on
  7. last — finally
  8. mug — to rob
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. bulb — for light
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. scale — in music
  14. scale — size or range
  15. ball — a dance
  16. mug — a cup
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. charge — in control
  19. ball — a great time
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. charge — electricity
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. bulb — of a plant

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