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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 116 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: band · patient · stick · board · pop · mug · charge · season

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. mug — a face
  3. pop — music
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. band — a ring
  6. season — of the year
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. charge — electricity
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. pop — soda
  12. pop — to visit
  13. season — in sport
  14. charge — a price
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. board — to get on
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. mug — to rob
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. board — a committee
  21. charge — in control
  22. mug — a cup
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. band — a music group

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