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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: board · present · charge · prune · date · pitcher · foot · patient

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. present — there
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. charge — electricity
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. foot — a measure
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. board — a committee
  11. charge — in control
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. present — the time now
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. prune — to trim
  16. board — to get on
  17. charge — a price
  18. present — a gift
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. prune — to trim
  21. date — the fruit
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. date — on the calendar

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