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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 116 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: cell · patient · scale · charge · stand · swing · track · rush

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. swing — to play on
  3. track — a path
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. track — to keep track
  8. stand — to bear
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. swing — in golf
  11. charge — in control
  12. cell — a phone
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. scale — size or range
  16. scale — in music
  17. charge — electricity
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. swing — music
  20. cell — in biology
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. track — a song
  24. rush — hurry

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