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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  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. patient — a sick person
  2. cell — a phone
  3. pop — to visit
  4. mate — a partner
  5. date — the fruit
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. mate — to breed
  9. cell — in biology
  10. court — of a king
  11. pop — music
  12. mate — a friend
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bank — for money
  16. court — of law
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. pop — soda
  19. bank — for money
  20. court — for sport
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bank — of a river
  23. cell — in a prison
  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