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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: pitcher · patient · content · charge · bay · branch · tear · cabinet

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. tear — from crying
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. content — happy
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. branch — a division
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. content — the amount
  12. tear — from crying
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. charge — a price
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. tear — to rip
  19. charge — in control
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. charge — electricity
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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