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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 · present · bowl · charge · race · foot · rush · patient

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. charge — electricity
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. charge — a price
  6. rush — hurry
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. race — humankind
  9. race — a contest
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. present — a gift
  13. race — the arms race
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. foot — a measure
  16. charge — in control
  17. bat — the animal
  18. present — there
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. present — the time now

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