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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. track — to keep track
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. spell — a short time
  9. spring — of water
  10. march — music
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. track — a song
  13. march — the month
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. track — a path
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. spring — the season
  18. spell — letters
  19. charge — a price
  20. march — the month
  21. spring — a coil
  22. spell — magic
  23. charge — electricity
  24. racket — for tennis

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