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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: patient · fan · ball · bear · row · current · lean · pitcher

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ball — a great time
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. row — to paddle
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. current — happening now
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. lean — thin
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. lean — to bend
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. bear — the animal
  20. row — a line
  21. current — of water
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. ball — a dance
  24. current — electric

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