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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. staff — a stick
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. mate — a friend
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. pit — a hole
  8. charge — electricity
  9. net — for catching
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. net — in sport
  12. net — after costs
  13. charge — a price
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. pit — in a race
  16. mark — a trace
  17. charge — in control
  18. mate — a partner
  19. mate — to breed
  20. staff — employees
  21. mark — a grade
  22. staff — employees
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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