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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: patient · current · kid · board · game · pound · wave · press

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. current — electric
  3. game — a match
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. game — wild animals
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. current — happening now
  11. kid — child
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. press — a publisher
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. current — of water
  17. board — to get on
  18. kid — to tease
  19. pound — a weight
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. board — a committee
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. press — newspapers
  24. press — to push

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