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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: pitch · fine · bear · chair · snap · patient · spring · charge

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. spring — a coil
  5. charge — a price
  6. bear — the animal
  7. pitch — completely
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. bear — the animal
  10. fine — high quality
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. spring — the season
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. fine — all right
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. spring — of water
  22. charge — electricity
  23. chair — a leader
  24. snap — to click

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