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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.

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: game · patient · stem · charge · foot · court · bass · calf

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. charge — a price
  4. bass — the fish
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. game — wild animals
  10. charge — in control
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. court — for sport
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. stem — to come from
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. bass — low music
  21. game — a match
  22. court — of law
  23. court — of a king
  24. foot — a measure

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