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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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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: coach · patient · rock · charge · bass · ruler · pass · kick

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. charge — electricity
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. pass — a permit
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. bass — the fish
  14. kick — in football
  15. rock — a stone
  16. charge — in control
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. charge — a price
  22. rock — music
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bass — low music

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