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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: key · track · wound · branch · file · fork · patient · current

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. file — a line of people
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. file — a tool
  5. file — a document
  6. key — the most important part
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. current — electric
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. key — in music
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. key — for a lock
  14. wound — an injury
  15. track — to keep track
  16. current — of water
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. track — a song
  19. fork — in a road
  20. track — a path
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. current — happening now
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. branch — a division

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