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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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 · temple · band · last · club · patient · current · pit

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. season — of the year
  5. last — finally
  6. club — for golf
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. last — to go on
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. club — a group
  12. band — a music group
  13. current — happening now
  14. pit — in a race
  15. club — for dancing
  16. season — in sport
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. current — of water
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. current — electric
  23. band — a ring
  24. last — final

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