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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. perch — the fish
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bank — for money
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. field — a subject
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. field — farmland
  13. bank — of a river
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. bank — for money
  18. current — electric
  19. current — of water
  20. field — for sport
  21. current — happening now
  22. date — the fruit
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. patient — a sick person

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