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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: cap · pass · game · chair · patient · staff · charge · mug

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. cap — a lid
  4. staff — a stick
  5. mug — to rob
  6. mug — a face
  7. game — wild animals
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. chair — a leader
  10. charge — a price
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. pass — a permit
  15. charge — in control
  16. staff — employees
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. cap — of ice
  21. mug — a cup
  22. cap — a hat
  23. staff — employees
  24. charge — electricity

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