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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: charge · prune · patient · club · cold · spring · rush · pitch

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. pitch — completely
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. cold — not warm
  5. cold — an illness
  6. charge — a price
  7. prune — to trim
  8. rush — hurry
  9. spring — of water
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. charge — in control
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. spring — a coil
  16. club — for dancing
  17. charge — electricity
  18. spring — the season
  19. club — a group
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. prune — to trim
  24. club — for golf

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