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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: pitcher · suit · cell · game · staff · current · patient · craft

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — employees
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. suit — clothes
  8. cell — a phone
  9. suit — in cards
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. current — of water
  13. craft — a skill
  14. cell — in biology
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — electric
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. game — wild animals
  20. craft — boats
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. suit — to fit
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. staff — a stick

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