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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 116 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: club · charge · cue · wind · scale · rash · patient · court

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. club — for golf
  3. wind — moving air
  4. charge — in control
  5. scale — size or range
  6. rash — a series
  7. cue — a signal
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. club — a group
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. cue — a hint
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. charge — electricity
  15. court — for sport
  16. charge — a price
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. cue — for pool
  19. wind — moving air
  20. scale — in music
  21. rash — hasty
  22. club — for dancing
  23. court — of a king
  24. court — of law

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