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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
468
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: craft · sharp · pitch · drill · charge · prune · can · patient

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. can — a tin
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. drill — army training
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. prune — to trim
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. sharp — clever
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. drill — a practice
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. craft — a skill
  15. prune — to trim
  16. drill — the tool
  17. pitch — completely
  18. can — to be able to
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. craft — boats
  21. can — a tin
  22. charge — a price
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. charge — in control

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