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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: bat · patient · bass · plane · firm · pop · can · jam

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. bat — the animal
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. can — a tin
  6. firm — decided
  7. plane — a tool
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. can — a tin
  11. firm — steady
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. pop — to visit
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. pop — music
  17. can — to be able to
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. firm — a company
  20. bass — the fish
  21. pop — soda
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bass — low music
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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