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

Word bank: leaves · cue · pound · patient · land · current · vault · deal

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. current — electric
  5. pound — a weight
  6. land — ground
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. current — of water
  10. cue — for pool
  11. vault — a safe
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. deal — to handle
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. current — happening now
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. land — a country
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. cue — a hint
  23. land — to come down
  24. leaves — to go away

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