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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: charge · ground · bass · patient · season · cue · foot · current

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. bass — low music
  4. current — electric
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. season — of the year
  10. cue — a hint
  11. ground — crushed
  12. ground — the earth
  13. cue — a signal
  14. current — of water
  15. charge — a price
  16. ground — a position
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. charge — in control
  19. bass — the fish
  20. current — happening now
  21. season — in sport
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. cue — for pool
  24. charge — electricity

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