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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: wind · mug · current · pit · jam · foot · patient · club

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. mug — a face
  5. club — for golf
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. mug — a cup
  8. club — for dancing
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. foot — a measure
  11. club — a group
  12. pit — a hole
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. mug — to rob
  16. current — of water
  17. wind — moving air
  18. current — electric
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. wind — moving air
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. pit — in a race

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