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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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Word bank
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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: spring · bay · bass · patient · bark · perch · suit · current

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. current — happening now
  3. current — of water
  4. spring — of water
  5. suit — in cards
  6. bass — low music
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. suit — to fit
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. perch — the fish
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. spring — the season
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. spring — a coil
  22. current — electric
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. perch — for a bird

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