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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 120 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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bass — low music
  5. tube — a container
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. current — happening now
  8. tube — the underground
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. cue — for pool
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. chip — for betting
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. current — electric
  15. bass — the fish
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cue — a signal
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. sharp — clever
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. chip — to eat
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. current — of water
  24. sharp — with an edge

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