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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: ground · land · bear · branch · charge · cue · patient · cap

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. cap — a hat
  3. bear — the animal
  4. charge — electricity
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. ground — a position
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. cue — a hint
  9. charge — a price
  10. ground — the earth
  11. land — to come down
  12. cap — a lid
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. land — a country
  15. bear — the animal
  16. cap — of ice
  17. land — ground
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. cue — a signal
  21. charge — in control
  22. ground — crushed
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. branch — a division

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