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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: current · kick · saw · field · wind · patient · track · mouse

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. track — a song
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — moving air
  8. track — a path
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. field — for sport
  11. saw — the tool
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. field — a subject
  14. current — of water
  15. saw — the tool
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. current — electric
  18. kick — in football
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. current — happening now
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. field — farmland

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