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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 116 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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. charge — a price
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. charge — electricity
  7. shower — to wash
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. mark — a trace
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. fine — high quality
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. track — to keep track
  15. charge — in control
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. fine — all right
  18. shower — rain
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. mark — a grade
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. track — a path

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