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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.

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: pass · sharp · march · racket · patient · band · charge · squash

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. squash — to crush
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. march — the month
  7. sharp — clever
  8. squash — the sport
  9. charge — in control
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. band — a ring
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. march — the month
  15. band — a music group
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. march — music
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. pass — a permit
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. charge — electricity
  24. sharp — exactly

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