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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: mine · plane · charge · bass · can · patient · pop · pound

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. charge — a price
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. plane — a tool
  5. bass — the fish
  6. pop — to visit
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mine — for digging
  10. can — to be able to
  11. charge — in control
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. can — a tin
  14. bass — low music
  15. pound — a weight
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. pop — music
  20. pop — soda
  21. charge — electricity
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. can — a tin
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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