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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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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: patient · pitch · fork · stand · charge · mouse · pit · kick

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. pitch — completely
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. stand — to bear
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. kick — in football
  13. pit — in a race
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. charge — a price
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. charge — in control
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. pit — a hole
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. fork — in a road
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  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