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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: bass · coach · prune · rush · charge · ground · present · patient

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. prune — to trim
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. ground — crushed
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. present — the time now
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. prune — to trim
  11. ground — a position
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. charge — in control
  16. bass — low music
  17. ground — the earth
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. charge — a price
  20. present — a gift
  21. bass — the fish
  22. rush — hurry
  23. prune — the fruit
  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