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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. mate — a partner
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. club — for golf
  5. cue — a signal
  6. ball — a dance
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. charge — a price
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. mate — a friend
  11. club — a group
  12. cue — for pool
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. cue — a hint
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. snap — to click
  18. club — for dancing
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. mate — to breed
  21. charge — in control
  22. ball — a great time
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. ball — a round shape

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