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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. charge — a price
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. fork — in a road
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. cue — a hint
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. wound — an injury
  13. game — wild animals
  14. cue — a signal
  15. game — a match
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — what's left
  18. cue — for pool
  19. rest — a break
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. charge — electricity
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. wound — an injury
  24. patient — a sick person

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