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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pit · rule · current · wake · chair · pitcher · patient · net

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. current — happening now
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pit — a hole
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. rule — government
  14. net — after costs
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. net — for catching
  17. net — in sport
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. chair — a leader
  22. wake — a trail
  23. current — of water
  24. current — electric

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