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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: arm · kick · staff · land · ground · current · fork · patient

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. kick — in football
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. land — ground
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. land — to come down
  9. ground — a position
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. staff — a stick
  15. ground — the earth
  16. current — of water
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. land — a country
  19. ground — crushed
  20. staff — employees
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. current — happening now
  23. fork — in a road
  24. staff — employees

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