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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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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: pit · land · branch · foot · ruler · charge · cell · patient

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  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. charge — in control
  2. land — ground
  3. charge — a price
  4. land — a country
  5. land — to come down
  6. charge — electricity
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. pit — a hole
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. cell — in biology
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. branch — a division
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. pit — in a race
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. cell — a phone
  23. foot — a measure
  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