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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: rule · pop · patient · cold · present · stick · perch · charge

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. pop — music
  4. perch — the fish
  5. cold — not warm
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. rule — a law
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. pop — soda
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. present — there
  14. cold — an illness
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. charge — a price
  17. charge — electricity
  18. rule — government
  19. present — the time now
  20. charge — in control
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. pop — to visit
  24. present — a gift

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