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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: rash · march · racket · kick · patient · charge · cap · bulb

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  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. march — the month
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. kick — in football
  4. charge — in control
  5. bulb — for light
  6. cap — a hat
  7. march — music
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rash — a series
  10. rash — hasty
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. charge — electricity
  15. bulb — for light
  16. charge — a price
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. march — the month
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cap — a lid
  23. kick — a thrill
  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