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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: bay · roll · kid · patient · net · pass · current · rash

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. current — happening now
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. pass — a permit
  6. roll — a cake
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. net — in sport
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. kid — child
  11. current — electric
  12. kid — to tease
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. roll — a list
  18. current — of water
  19. rash — a series
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. net — for catching
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. rash — hasty
  24. net — after costs

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