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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.

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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: kick · pit · land · patient · racket · rule · stick · charge

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. land — to come down
  3. kick — in football
  4. rule — a law
  5. pit — in a race
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. charge — electricity
  16. land — ground
  17. rule — government
  18. charge — a price
  19. charge — in control
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. land — a country
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. pit — a hole

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