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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. current — electric
  3. file — a document
  4. tube — the underground
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. field — a subject
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. current — of water
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. field — for sport
  14. file — a line of people
  15. tube — a container
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. track — to keep track
  19. field — farmland
  20. foot — a measure
  21. file — a tool
  22. current — happening now
  23. track — a song
  24. track — a path

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