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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: current · scale · wake · ball · charge · content · patient · bank

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. scale — size or range
  3. content — the amount
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. charge — electricity
  6. wake — a trail
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. scale — in music
  9. content — happy
  10. current — electric
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. bank — for money
  14. current — happening now
  15. bank — for money
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a dance
  18. ball — a great time
  19. charge — a price
  20. current — of water
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. charge — in control

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