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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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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: charge · patient · pit · band · sharp · fork · deal · bear

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. charge — a price
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. sharp — clever
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. band — a music group
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. pit — in a race
  11. deal — to handle
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. bear — the animal
  14. fork — in a road
  15. bear — the animal
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. pit — a hole
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. charge — electricity
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. charge — in control
  24. deal — an agreement

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