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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.

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: spell · patient · present · charge · cabinet · field · chip · mine

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. charge — a price
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. present — a gift
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. field — a subject
  10. chip — to eat
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. field — farmland
  13. spell — a short time
  14. spell — magic
  15. present — there
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. field — for sport
  19. mine — for digging
  20. spell — letters
  21. present — the time now
  22. chip — for betting
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. charge — electricity

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