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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.

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: mate · current · patient · game · foot · bank · row · object

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. object — an aim
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. bank — for money
  6. mate — a partner
  7. row — a line
  8. foot — a measure
  9. bank — of a river
  10. row — to paddle
  11. mate — to breed
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. object — to protest
  14. object — a thing
  15. current — electric
  16. mate — a friend
  17. bank — for money
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. game — a match
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. current — of water
  22. current — happening now
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. foot — the bottom

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