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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: cap · mark · pitcher · club · charge · patient · face · dip

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. club — for dancing
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. cap — a hat
  8. club — a group
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. face — to confront
  11. charge — electricity
  12. cap — a lid
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. dip — to sink
  15. mark — a trace
  16. face — to point toward
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. charge — in control
  19. cap — of ice
  20. club — for golf
  21. charge — a price
  22. face — part of the head
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. mark — a grade

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