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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: branch · patient · kid · current · last · mouse · stock · mug

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. last — to go on
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. current — electric
  5. stock — goods
  6. branch — a division
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. last — final
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mug — a face
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. stock — shares
  15. mug — a cup
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. kid — child
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. current — happening now
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. last — finally
  22. current — of water
  23. kid — to tease
  24. mouse — the animal

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