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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: rest · season · fan · patient · current · track · bowl · branch

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. track — a path
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. track — to keep track
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. season — of the year
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. current — electric
  13. track — a song
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. season — in sport
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. rest — what's left
  18. current — happening now
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. rest — a break
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. branch — a division

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