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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 120 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: charge · content · rule · game · patient · key · pass · mug

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. charge — electricity
  4. content — the amount
  5. rule — a law
  6. key — for a lock
  7. pass — a permit
  8. mug — a cup
  9. game — wild animals
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. charge — a price
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. game — a match
  15. mug — a face
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. key — in music
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. charge — in control
  20. mug — to rob
  21. content — happy
  22. rule — government
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. pass — to spend time

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