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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: bank · chest · bay · pitch · charge · season · patient · current

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — of a river
  5. current — electric
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chest — a box
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. charge — in control
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pitch — completely
  14. charge — electricity
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. season — of the year
  18. bank — for money
  19. chest — of your body
  20. current — of water
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. current — happening now
  23. season — in sport
  24. charge — a price

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