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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: snap · current · game · pound · plane · stand · patient · bark

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bark — to shout
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. pound — a weight
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. current — happening now
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. snap — to click
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. current — of water
  13. plane — a tool
  14. game — a match
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. game — wild animals
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. stand — to bear
  24. pound — for dogs

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