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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: coach · fan · charge · date · land · bank · patient · season

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. land — to come down
  4. land — ground
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. charge — electricity
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. charge — in control
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bank — for money
  13. season — of the year
  14. bank — of a river
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bank — for money
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. season — in sport
  19. charge — a price
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. land — a country
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. date — the fruit

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