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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. swing — music
  4. net — for catching
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. net — after costs
  7. pass — a permit
  8. swing — in golf
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. charge — a price
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. swing — to play on
  13. charge — in control
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. perch — the fish
  20. net — in sport
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. charge — electricity
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. trunk — of a car

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