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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.

Words on the sheet
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: racket · clip · staff · craft · stick · patient · foot · current

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. current — happening now
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — a stick
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. current — of water
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. current — electric
  12. staff — employees
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. craft — a skill
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. craft — boats
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. foot — a measure
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. clip — to cut
  22. clip — for paper
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. clip — a video

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