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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. mate — a friend
  3. march — the month
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. hand — help
  7. mate — to breed
  8. fine — all right
  9. march — the month
  10. mate — a partner
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. hand — in cards
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. charge — a price
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. chip — to eat
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. fine — high quality
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. chip — for betting
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. charge — electricity
  24. march — music

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