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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mug · current · suit · patient · spring · sharp · dip · net

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. suit — in cards
  3. suit — clothes
  4. suit — to fit
  5. sharp — clever
  6. net — in sport
  7. spring — the season
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. mug — to rob
  10. current — of water
  11. spring — a coil
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. net — after costs
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. mug — a cup
  16. current — happening now
  17. current — electric
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. spring — of water
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. mug — a face
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. dip — to sink

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