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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: wave · scale · fine · current · patient · wound · mine · stock

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. current — of water
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. current — happening now
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. fine — all right
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. wound — an injury
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. current — electric
  13. scale — size or range
  14. mine — for digging
  15. stock — shares
  16. stock — goods
  17. fine — high quality
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. scale — in music
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. wound — an injury
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. stock — a soup base

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