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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
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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: charge · present · current · patient · stand · game

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. stand — to bear
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. present — the time now
  6. current — electric
  7. game — wild animals
  8. present — a gift
  9. game — a match
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. current — of water
  13. charge — electricity
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. charge — a price
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. charge — in control
  18. present — there

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