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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: drill · chair · present · net · patient · charge · land · mouse

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. land — to come down
  3. land — a country
  4. charge — electricity
  5. net — after costs
  6. net — in sport
  7. present — a gift
  8. drill — a practice
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. present — there
  12. drill — the tool
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. drill — army training
  15. present — the time now
  16. charge — in control
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. land — ground
  19. net — for catching
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. charge — a price
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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