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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 120 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: patient · chest · key · charge · pass · cue · field · perch

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. charge — electricity
  3. cue — for pool
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. perch — the fish
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. field — a subject
  9. charge — a price
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. charge — in control
  12. key — in music
  13. pass — a permit
  14. chest — of your body
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. field — farmland
  18. key — the most important part
  19. cue — a hint
  20. field — for sport
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. chest — a box
  23. chest — of your body
  24. key — for a lock

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