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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  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. bass — the fish
  2. current — electric
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mark — a trace
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. wind — moving air
  9. march — the month
  10. bass — low music
  11. mate — a friend
  12. march — the month
  13. mate — a partner
  14. current — happening now
  15. wind — moving air
  16. cap — a lid
  17. mark — a grade
  18. cap — of ice
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. current — of water
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. march — music
  23. cap — a hat
  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