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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: can · cabinet · charge · race · patient · season · pitcher · pound

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. race — a contest
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. charge — electricity
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. can — to be able to
  9. can — a tin
  10. season — in sport
  11. charge — in control
  12. race — humankind
  13. charge — a price
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. race — the arms race
  18. season — of the year
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. can — a tin
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. pound — a weight

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