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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: file · squash · patient · race · stock · deal · coach · current

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. current — of water
  4. stock — goods
  5. file — a line of people
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. current — happening now
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. squash — the sport
  10. race — the arms race
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. race — a contest
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. race — humankind
  15. file — a document
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. stock — shares
  20. current — electric
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. squash — to crush
  23. file — a tool
  24. deal — to handle

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