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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a great time
  3. drill — a practice
  4. stock — goods
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. stock — shares
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. bass — low music
  9. current — happening now
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. drill — army training
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. drill — the tool
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. bass — the fish
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. current — of water
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. current — electric
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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