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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: staff · current · pit · shower · patient · pitcher · drill · object

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. current — electric
  3. object — an aim
  4. shower — to wash
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. drill — a practice
  9. pit — in a race
  10. staff — employees
  11. drill — army training
  12. current — of water
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. shower — rain
  15. staff — a stick
  16. staff — employees
  17. drill — the tool
  18. current — happening now
  19. pit — a hole
  20. object — to protest
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. object — a thing
  24. patient — a sick person

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