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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.

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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: rest · straw · pass · patient · net · charge · mouse · racket

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. charge — a price
  3. net — for catching
  4. rest — what's left
  5. net — in sport
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. charge — in control
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. rest — what's left
  13. charge — electricity
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. rest — a break
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. net — after costs
  22. pass — a permit
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. straw — dry grass

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