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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 120 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 · firm · prune · drill · leaves · court · patient · present

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. court — for sport
  3. firm — decided
  4. current — electric
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. drill — army training
  7. firm — steady
  8. present — a gift
  9. present — there
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. current — happening now
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. prune — to trim
  14. court — of law
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. present — the time now
  17. court — of a king
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. prune — to trim
  20. firm — a company
  21. drill — the tool
  22. current — of water
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. drill — a practice

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