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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 120 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: ground · kick · patient · court · bank · pass · charge · key

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. bank — for money
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. ground — crushed
  6. ground — a position
  7. bank — for money
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. key — for a lock
  10. key — the most important part
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. court — for sport
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. court — of a king
  15. bank — of a river
  16. charge — electricity
  17. kick — in football
  18. court — of law
  19. charge — a price
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — a permit
  22. charge — in control
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. ground — the earth

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