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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: deal · charge · prune · season · current · ball · temple · patient

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. season — of the year
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. ball — a great time
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. deal — to handle
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. current — electric
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. current — happening now
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. prune — to trim
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. current — of water
  17. charge — in control
  18. charge — electricity
  19. prune — to trim
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. season — in sport
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. season — to add flavour
  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