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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: patient · bore · fork · cabinet · shower · arm · pitch · charge

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. fork — in a road
  3. bore — to drill
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. charge — electricity
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. shower — rain
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. charge — in control
  21. shower — to wash
  22. pitch — completely
  23. charge — a price
  24. bore — gave birth

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