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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. stem — to come from
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. current — of water
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. current — happening now
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. current — electric
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. tube — a container
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pitch — completely
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. bass — low music

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