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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: jam · content · stem · court · wind · season · patient · charge

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. wind — moving air
  4. season — in sport
  5. content — the amount
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. court — of law
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. stem — to come from
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. charge — a price
  12. charge — in control
  13. charge — electricity
  14. season — of the year
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. wind — moving air
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. court — of a king
  23. court — for sport
  24. content — happy

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