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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
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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: charge · sharp · calf · mine · jam · scale · fork · patient

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  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 — electricity
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. scale — size or range
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. charge — in control
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. scale — in music
  12. charge — a price
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. mine — for digging
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. sharp — clever
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. fork — in a road
  23. patient — a sick person
  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