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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 120 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: field · cue · charge · bore · hand · scale · pitcher · patient

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bore — to tire
  4. field — a subject
  5. cue — a hint
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. cue — a signal
  8. bore — to drill
  9. charge — a price
  10. hand — in cards
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. charge — electricity
  15. scale — size or range
  16. cue — for pool
  17. hand — help
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. field — farmland
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. charge — in control
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. field — for sport

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