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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: rash · patient · jam · bulb · ball · charge · field · staff

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. field — farmland
  5. staff — employees
  6. charge — electricity
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. charge — in control
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. bulb — for light
  14. field — a subject
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — a stick
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. ball — a dance
  19. bulb — for light
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rash — a series
  22. charge — a price
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. field — for sport

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