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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. key — for a lock
  4. current — electric
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. current — of water
  8. board — to get on
  9. shower — rain
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. board — a committee
  13. bank — for money
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. band — a music group
  16. key — in music
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. key — the most important part
  19. current — happening now
  20. band — a ring
  21. shower — to wash
  22. bank — of a river
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. bank — for money

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