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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: rock · mine · branch · game · patient · drill · season · charge

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. rock — a stone
  4. charge — electricity
  5. charge — a price
  6. season — in sport
  7. charge — in control
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. branch — a division
  11. drill — army training
  12. game — wild animals
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. mine — for digging
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. drill — a practice
  20. game — a match
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. rock — music
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. drill — the tool

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