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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: roll · object · pit · rock · craft · patient · current · safe

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. current — electric
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. craft — boats
  6. pit — a hole
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. rock — music
  10. pit — in a race
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. rock — a stone
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. object — to protest
  19. roll — a cake
  20. craft — a skill
  21. object — an aim
  22. current — happening now
  23. object — a thing
  24. current — of water

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