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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 120 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: rule · bass · mouse · patient · content · chair · race · calf

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. race — the arms race
  7. chair — a leader
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. rule — government
  10. rule — a law
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. content — the amount
  13. bass — the fish
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bass — low music
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. content — happy
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. race — humankind
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. race — a contest
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. chair — to sit on

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