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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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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. saw — the tool
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. degree — from a university
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bass — low music
  9. degree — temperature
  10. degree — an amount
  11. bass — the fish
  12. current — happening now
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. saw — the tool
  15. current — of water
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. can — a tin
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. can — a tin
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. can — to be able to
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. bass — the instrument

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