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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: mouse · chair · snap · squash · pitch · charge · pass · patient

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. charge — electricity
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. pass — a permit
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. charge — a price
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. squash — to crush
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. charge — in control
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. pitch — completely
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. snap — to click
  22. squash — the sport
  23. chair — a leader
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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