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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: rash · rest · charge · drill · pitcher · scale · branch · patient

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. rash — a series
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. rest — a break
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. rest — what's left
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. rash — hasty
  13. charge — electricity
  14. charge — a price
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. branch — a division
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. drill — the tool
  20. scale — size or range
  21. scale — in music
  22. drill — army training
  23. drill — a practice
  24. charge — in control

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