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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: ball · chair · staff · patient · mark · charge · pitcher · wave

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. ball — a great time
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. staff — a stick
  6. staff — employees
  7. charge — electricity
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. staff — employees
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. chair — a leader
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. ball — a dance
  15. charge — in control
  16. charge — a price
  17. mark — a trace
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. mark — a grade
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. wave — with your hand

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