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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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468
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: court · bat · patient · wave · foot · mate · current · present

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. present — the time now
  3. current — of water
  4. foot — a measure
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. mate — a friend
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. bat — the animal
  10. court — of a king
  11. present — a gift
  12. court — of law
  13. mate — a partner
  14. current — electric
  15. present — there
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. current — happening now
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. court — for sport

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