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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
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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 · race · patient · date · bore · kid · jam · can

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. kid — child
  3. race — humankind
  4. race — a contest
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. kid — to tease
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. date — the fruit
  9. current — electric
  10. can — a tin
  11. race — the arms race
  12. can — to be able to
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. bore — to drill
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. can — a tin
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. current — of water
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. current — happening now
  24. bore — to tire

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