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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. net — in sport
  5. branch — a division
  6. bulb — for light
  7. current — happening now
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. mine — for digging
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. net — for catching
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bass — low music
  15. net — after costs
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. current — of water
  20. bulb — for light
  21. pound — a weight
  22. current — electric
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. pound — for dogs

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