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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: calf · bark · row · charge · cue · drill · chip · patient

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. bark — to shout
  3. cue — a hint
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. charge — electricity
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. drill — army training
  8. cue — for pool
  9. cue — a signal
  10. charge — in control
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. drill — the tool
  14. row — to paddle
  15. chip — to eat
  16. drill — a practice
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. row — a line
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. chip — for betting
  24. calf — a young animal

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