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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. field — for sport
  7. current — electric
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. stem — to come from
  14. current — happening now
  15. mug — a face
  16. mug — a cup
  17. rush — hurry
  18. field — farmland
  19. mug — to rob
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. current — of water
  24. field — a subject

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