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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: patient · stick · bass · deal · current · temple

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. deal — to handle
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bass — low music
  7. current — happening now
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bass — the fish
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. current — of water
  18. deal — an agreement

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