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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: craft · fan · pass · rule · patient · coach · march · current

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. current — electric
  4. current — of water
  5. craft — boats
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. march — the month
  8. craft — a skill
  9. rule — government
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. rule — a law
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. march — the month
  14. pass — a permit
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. current — happening now
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. march — music
  24. coach — a trainer

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