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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
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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: ground · cue · patient · saw · straw · charge · degree · deal

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. deal — to handle
  4. ground — crushed
  5. cue — a signal
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. degree — an amount
  8. degree — from a university
  9. charge — in control
  10. charge — a price
  11. degree — temperature
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. cue — for pool
  15. ground — the earth
  16. ground — a position
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. saw — the tool
  22. charge — electricity
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. deal — a big deal

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