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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. pit — a hole
  7. staff — a stick
  8. cue — a signal
  9. charge — a price
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. staff — employees
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. pit — in a race
  14. charge — in control
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. row — a line
  17. cue — for pool
  18. staff — employees
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. row — to paddle
  24. cue — a hint

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