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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: rule · swing · jam · charge · patient · land · sharp · toast

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. charge — a price
  4. sharp — clever
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. swing — to play on
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. land — ground
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. land — a country
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. toast — bread
  15. rule — a law
  16. land — to come down
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. charge — electricity
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. rule — government
  23. swing — music
  24. charge — in control

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