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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. rash — a series
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. current — electric
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. field — a subject
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. staff — employees
  11. field — for sport
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. staff — a stick
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. board — to get on
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. rash — hasty
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. branch — a division
  20. field — farmland
  21. staff — employees
  22. current — of water
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. board — a committee

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