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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: band · charge · rush · game · patient · branch · bass · current

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. band — a music group
  3. bass — low music
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. charge — electricity
  7. charge — a price
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. game — wild animals
  10. charge — in control
  11. bass — the fish
  12. current — electric
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. game — a match
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. branch — a division
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. band — a ring
  20. current — happening now
  21. current — of water
  22. rush — hurry
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. bass — the instrument

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