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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.

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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: wax · club · court · dip · current · patient · band · game

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. club — a group
  3. club — for dancing
  4. band — a ring
  5. game — wild animals
  6. game — a match
  7. court — of law
  8. current — of water
  9. wax — to grow
  10. dip — to sink
  11. club — for golf
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. current — electric
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. current — happening now
  16. court — for sport
  17. band — a music group
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. court — of a king
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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