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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: mine · ground · bat · press · rest · patient · current · racket

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. rest — what's left
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. rest — a break
  5. mine — for digging
  6. ground — crushed
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. rest — what's left
  11. current — of water
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. press — newspapers
  15. current — happening now
  16. bat — the animal
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. press — a publisher
  20. press — to push
  21. ground — the earth
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. ground — a position
  24. mine — an explosive

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