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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wake · charge · pit · foot · land · bulb · patient · rock

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  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. patient — calm and waiting
  2. rock — music
  3. wake — a trail
  4. land — ground
  5. charge — a price
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. pit — a hole
  9. bulb — for light
  10. charge — electricity
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. rock — a stone
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. pit — in a race
  17. land — to come down
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. land — a country
  21. bulb — for light
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. foot — a measure
  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