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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. date — the fruit
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. current — electric
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. bass — the fish
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bass — low music
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. plane — a tool
  15. foot — a measure
  16. shower — to wash
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. shower — rain
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. current — happening now
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. current — of water
  24. patient — a sick person

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