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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: patient · net · rock · ground · snap · spring · racket · current

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. ground — a position
  3. ground — crushed
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. net — for catching
  6. ground — the earth
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. spring — the season
  9. spring — a coil
  10. snap — to click
  11. net — in sport
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rock — music
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. net — after costs
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. current — happening now
  19. current — of water
  20. spring — of water
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. rock — to move gently
  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