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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: current · track · bat · snap · roll · club · coach · patient

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. track — a path
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. bat — the animal
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. track — a song
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. current — electric
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. roll — a cake
  14. club — for dancing
  15. snap — to click
  16. current — of water
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. club — a group
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. club — for golf
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. track — to keep track
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. roll — a list

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