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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: craft · firm · cell · court · present · patient · last · charge

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. cell — a phone
  4. charge — in control
  5. last — final
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. firm — a company
  8. last — to go on
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. firm — steady
  11. charge — a price
  12. court — of a king
  13. charge — electricity
  14. present — there
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. court — of law
  17. court — for sport
  18. firm — decided
  19. present — the time now
  20. craft — boats
  21. craft — a skill
  22. last — finally
  23. cell — in biology
  24. present — a gift

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