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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
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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: charge · land · cabinet · root · cue · stick · court · patient

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. land — a country
  3. cue — for pool
  4. cue — a signal
  5. cue — a hint
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. charge — in control
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. root — of a word
  12. court — of law
  13. court — for sport
  14. land — ground
  15. land — to come down
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. charge — a price
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. root — the cause
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. root — of a plant
  23. charge — electricity
  24. court — of a king

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