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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: current · patient · squash · pit · mug · degree · track · bass

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. degree — temperature
  5. mug — a cup
  6. current — electric
  7. bass — the fish
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. pit — in a race
  10. degree — an amount
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. bass — low music
  13. track — a path
  14. current — happening now
  15. squash — the sport
  16. track — to keep track
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. mug — a face
  19. track — a song
  20. mug — to rob
  21. degree — from a university
  22. current — of water
  23. squash — to crush
  24. pit — a hole

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