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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. charge — electricity
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. pop — to visit
  5. land — ground
  6. suit — in cards
  7. pop — soda
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. suit — clothes
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. charge — in control
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. land — to come down
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. perch — the fish
  20. date — the fruit
  21. suit — to fit
  22. land — a country
  23. charge — a price
  24. pop — 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