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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: net · temple · pit · date · branch · shower · patient · current

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. shower — rain
  6. branch — a division
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. net — in sport
  10. current — electric
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. pit — in a race
  13. net — for catching
  14. net — after costs
  15. shower — to wash
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. current — happening now
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. date — the fruit
  24. current — of water

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