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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: drill · patient · leaves · firm · net · current · track · rush

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. track — a path
  3. track — to keep track
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. current — happening now
  6. firm — steady
  7. net — after costs
  8. net — in sport
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. net — for catching
  11. current — of water
  12. firm — a company
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. drill — a practice
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. drill — the tool
  18. rush — hurry
  19. firm — decided
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. track — a song
  22. current — electric
  23. drill — army training
  24. leaves — lets stay

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