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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 116 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 · rest · charge · bear · race · court · bass · patient

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. bass — low music
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. charge — electricity
  5. bear — the animal
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — a break
  8. charge — in control
  9. charge — a price
  10. rest — what's left
  11. court — of a king
  12. court — for sport
  13. court — of law
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. race — the arms race
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. race — humankind
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. race — a contest
  20. bass — the fish
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. craft — a skill
  24. bear — the animal

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