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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 120 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: mate · bat · patient · kick · current · stand · trunk · chip

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. chip — for betting
  4. kick — in football
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. current — happening now
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. chip — to eat
  11. current — electric
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. bat — the animal
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. stand — to bear
  18. current — of water
  19. mate — a partner
  20. mate — to breed
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. mate — a friend
  24. bat — for baseball

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