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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: chest · sharp · charge · patient · bowl · pound · cue · cabinet

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. chest — of your body
  4. charge — a price
  5. charge — electricity
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. chest — a box
  9. cue — for pool
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. cue — a hint
  14. chest — of your body
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. cue — a signal
  17. charge — in control
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. pound — a weight
  24. sharp — clever

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