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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. fork — in a road
  6. season — in sport
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. branch — a division
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. current — of water
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. pass — a permit
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pitch — completely
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. season — of the year
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. current — happening now
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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