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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: patient · field · current · snap · ground · suit · coach · rock

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. ground — the earth
  4. snap — to click
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. field — a subject
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. ground — crushed
  11. ground — a position
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. suit — clothes
  14. rock — a stone
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. current — of water
  18. suit — to fit
  19. field — for sport
  20. suit — in cards
  21. current — electric
  22. field — farmland
  23. current — happening now
  24. rock — music

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