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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: row · net · charge · fall · march · racket · patient · prune

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. net — in sport
  3. charge — electricity
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — to drop
  6. net — for catching
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. march — the month
  10. march — music
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. fall — the season
  15. charge — a price
  16. march — the month
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — to trim
  21. net — after costs
  22. row — a line
  23. row — to paddle
  24. patient — a sick person

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