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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mate · date · can · net · chair · pass · patient · charge

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  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. can — to be able to
  2. net — for catching
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. pass — a permit
  5. mate — a friend
  6. mate — to breed
  7. net — in sport
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. chair — a leader
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. charge — a price
  13. mate — a partner
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. can — a tin
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. net — after costs
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. can — a tin
  21. date — the fruit
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. charge — electricity
  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