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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: rash · bank · field · staff · patient · mate · charge · prune

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. rash — a series
  3. mate — a partner
  4. charge — a price
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. prune — to trim
  7. field — for sport
  8. mate — to breed
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. mate — a friend
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. prune — to trim
  13. charge — electricity
  14. field — a subject
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. bank — for money
  17. field — farmland
  18. staff — employees
  19. rash — hasty
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. staff — employees
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bank — for money
  24. staff — a stick

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