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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: patient · deal · rash · current · ball · tube · temple · perch

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. tube — a container
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. rash — hasty
  6. current — happening now
  7. deal — to handle
  8. current — of water
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. current — electric
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. rash — a series
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. ball — a dance
  17. perch — the fish
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. tube — the underground

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