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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: current · jam · fan · rule · root · wound · roll · patient

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. current — electric
  3. root — of a plant
  4. rule — government
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. roll — a list
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. root — of a word
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. wound — an injury
  15. current — happening now
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. wound — an injury
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. root — the cause
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. current — of water
  23. rule — a law
  24. roll — a cake

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