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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: club · temple · drill · current · roll · patient · wind · chip

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. current — happening now
  3. drill — the tool
  4. current — of water
  5. roll — a cake
  6. chip — to eat
  7. current — electric
  8. club — for golf
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. chip — for betting
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. roll — a list
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. club — a group
  18. club — for dancing
  19. drill — a practice
  20. wind — moving air
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. drill — army training
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. wind — moving air

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