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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. season — of the year
  4. suit — to fit
  5. game — a match
  6. suit — clothes
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. charge — a price
  10. game — wild animals
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. tube — the underground
  13. suit — in cards
  14. tube — a container
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. current — electric
  17. current — of water
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. season — in sport
  21. ball — a dance
  22. charge — in control
  23. charge — electricity
  24. current — happening now

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