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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 · snap · bank · rush · mug · patient · field · bass

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. current — electric
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. bank — of a river
  8. field — farmland
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. mug — a cup
  11. field — for sport
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. current — happening now
  14. snap — to click
  15. bank — for money
  16. mug — to rob
  17. current — of water
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. bass — low music
  20. mug — a face
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. bank — for money
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. rush — hurry

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