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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 116 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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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. trunk — of a car
  4. bass — low music
  5. current — happening now
  6. bass — the fish
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. file — a line of people
  11. tube — a container
  12. file — a tool
  13. ball — a dance
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. tube — the underground
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. file — a document
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. current — of water
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. ball — a great time

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