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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 120 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: mark · current · patient · present · pitcher · march · dip · vault

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. march — the month
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. current — happening now
  5. march — music
  6. current — electric
  7. mark — a grade
  8. vault — a safe
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. present — the time now
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. current — of water
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. present — a gift
  18. march — the month
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. dip — to sink
  24. present — there

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