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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: safe · present · patient · perch · charge · jam · content · date

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. present — there
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. date — the fruit
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. present — the time now
  9. perch — the fish
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. charge — in control
  14. content — the amount
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. content — happy
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. charge — a price
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. present — a gift

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