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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. last — to go on
  5. rush — hurry
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. land — to come down
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. bass — low music
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. bass — the fish
  12. last — finally
  13. club — for golf
  14. club — a group
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. last — final
  17. land — a country
  18. current — electric
  19. current — of water
  20. land — ground
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. plane — a tool
  23. club — for dancing
  24. rush — to hurry

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