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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: season · chair · club · charge · file · patient · stand · march

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. march — the month
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. club — for golf
  6. stand — to bear
  7. march — the month
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. file — a document
  11. season — in sport
  12. season — of the year
  13. charge — in control
  14. march — music
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. file — a line of people
  17. club — a group
  18. chair — a leader
  19. charge — electricity
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. file — a tool
  23. club — for dancing
  24. charge — a price

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