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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 · patient · drill · leaves · mouse · pass · land · jam

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. land — to come down
  8. drill — a practice
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. current — electric
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. pass — a permit
  15. land — ground
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. land — a country
  19. drill — army training
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. drill — the tool
  22. current — of water
  23. current — happening now
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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