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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
468
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: root · arm · patient · current · fine · mate · dip · track

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. track — a song
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. mate — a partner
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. root — of a word
  8. mate — to breed
  9. current — happening now
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. mate — a friend
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. root — the cause
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. track — a path
  17. dip — to sink
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. current — of water
  20. current — electric
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fine — all right
  23. root — of a plant
  24. dip — a sauce

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