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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. squash — to crush
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. current — electric
  6. current — of water
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. current — happening now
  10. scale — size or range
  11. swing — in golf
  12. can — to be able to
  13. can — a tin
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. swing — to play on
  18. squash — the sport
  19. bass — low music
  20. can — a tin
  21. scale — in music
  22. swing — music
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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