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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 116 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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. current — electric
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. net — for catching
  8. kid — child
  9. net — after costs
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. pitch — completely
  12. mug — a face
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. current — of water
  15. mug — to rob
  16. kid — to tease
  17. current — happening now
  18. branch — a division
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. net — in sport
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. mug — a cup

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