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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 120 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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. degree — temperature
  5. bore — to tire
  6. charge — electricity
  7. field — farmland
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. mug — to rob
  12. cold — an illness
  13. bore — to drill
  14. mug — a cup
  15. field — for sport
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. degree — from a university
  18. cold — not warm
  19. mug — a face
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. degree — an amount
  22. field — a subject
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. charge — a price

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