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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: bat · deal · patient · bulb · charge · branch · rule · mine

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. rule — government
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. mine — for digging
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bulb — for light
  8. charge — in control
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. deal — to handle
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. charge — electricity
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. branch — a division
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. rule — a law
  23. charge — a price
  24. bat — in an idiom

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