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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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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 · chip · track · toast · tear · season · patient

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. tear — from crying
  5. race — the arms race
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. season — of the year
  8. race — a contest
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. track — to keep track
  11. track — a path
  12. current — happening now
  13. tear — to rip
  14. season — in sport
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. current — electric
  18. race — humankind
  19. chip — for betting
  20. toast — bread
  21. track — a song
  22. chip — to eat
  23. tear — from crying
  24. current — of water

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