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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: patient · chip · present · field · net · bay · current · track

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. current — electric
  3. track — a song
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. chip — for betting
  6. net — after costs
  7. chip — to eat
  8. net — for catching
  9. present — there
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. field — a subject
  12. present — a gift
  13. current — of water
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. present — the time now
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. net — in sport
  21. field — for sport
  22. track — to keep track
  23. field — farmland
  24. current — happening now

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