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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. charge — in control
  3. staff — a stick
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. swing — in golf
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. swing — music
  8. clip — to cut
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. clip — a video
  11. swing — to play on
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. stock — goods
  14. charge — electricity
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. charge — a price
  17. stock — shares
  18. staff — employees
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. clip — for paper
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. staff — employees
  24. foot — a measure

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