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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: charge · patient · lash · pit · root · scale · perch · jam

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. scale — in music
  3. charge — a price
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. pit — a hole
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. root — of a word
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. root — of a plant
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. scale — size or range
  17. perch — the fish
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. root — the cause
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. charge — in control
  23. pit — in a race
  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