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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bass — the fish
  3. mine — for digging
  4. current — happening now
  5. stand — to bear
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bass — low music
  9. kick — in football
  10. club — for golf
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. last — finally
  13. club — a group
  14. club — for dancing
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. last — final
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. current — of water
  23. last — to go on
  24. current — electric

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