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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: charge · patient · pop · mate · temple · band · racket · rush

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. rush — hurry
  8. band — a ring
  9. mate — to breed
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. band — a music group
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. charge — electricity
  15. pop — to visit
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. mate — a friend
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. pop — soda
  20. pop — music
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. charge — a price
  23. mate — a partner
  24. charge — in control

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