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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 120 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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. present — there
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. sharp — clever
  5. current — of water
  6. rash — a series
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. row — a line
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. row — to paddle
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. present — a gift
  15. bank — of a river
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. bank — for money
  19. current — happening now
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. rash — hasty
  22. current — electric
  23. bank — for money
  24. present — the time now

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