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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: bat · net · bound · current · track · patient · game · pass

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. net — in sport
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. game — a match
  5. track — a song
  6. game — wild animals
  7. bound — certain
  8. net — after costs
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. net — for catching
  13. current — of water
  14. track — to keep track
  15. bound — obliged
  16. current — electric
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. track — a path
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. bat — the animal

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