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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: net · plane · chip · current · pitcher · patient · fan · ground

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. current — happening now
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. chip — for betting
  9. net — in sport
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. ground — crushed
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. ground — a position
  14. net — for catching
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. plane — a tool
  18. chip — to eat
  19. current — electric
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. current — of water
  23. ground — the earth
  24. net — after costs

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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