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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: squash · patient · coach · current · bear · mate · chip · band

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. current — of water
  3. band — a music group
  4. current — happening now
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. squash — to crush
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. chip — for betting
  10. mate — to breed
  11. chip — to eat
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. mate — a partner
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. mate — a friend
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bear — the animal
  20. band — a ring
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. squash — the sport
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bear — 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