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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ruler · row · patient · pit · staff · charge

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. staff — employees
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. staff — a stick
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pit — a hole
  11. row — to paddle
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. staff — employees
  14. charge — a price
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. row — a line
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. charge — in control

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