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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: object · rash · rush · capital · current · band · patient · branch

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. capital — a city
  4. object — a thing
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. band — a ring
  9. current — happening now
  10. rash — a series
  11. rash — hasty
  12. band — a music group
  13. object — to protest
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. branch — a division
  16. current — electric
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rush — hurry
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. object — an aim
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. capital — money

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