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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: current · fine · bat · club · date · rest · mate · patient

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. fine — high quality
  3. bat — the animal
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. current — electric
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. current — happening now
  8. club — for dancing
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mate — to breed
  11. rest — what's left
  12. current — of water
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. mate — a friend
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. date — the fruit
  18. club — a group
  19. rest — a break
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. rest — what's left
  22. fine — all right
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. club — for golf

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