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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 120 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: pitcher · wake · sharp · patient · bat · pop · cap · charge

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  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. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. pop — music
  4. cap — of ice
  5. wake — a trail
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. bat — the animal
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pop — soda
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. cap — a lid
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. cap — a hat
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. charge — electricity
  19. sharp — clever
  20. charge — a price
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. wake — before a funeral
  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