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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
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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: patient · plane · rash · chair · current · fan · foot · pit

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. current — happening now
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. pit — in a race
  5. current — electric
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. foot — a measure
  13. chair — a leader
  14. pit — a hole
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. plane — a tool
  17. rash — a series
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. current — of water
  24. fan — a supporter

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