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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 · pop · saw · bound · patient · bass · mark · mug

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. mark — a trace
  3. saw — the tool
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. current — of water
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. mug — a cup
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mug — to rob
  12. bound — certain
  13. bass — low music
  14. pop — to visit
  15. mug — a face
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. bass — the fish
  18. pop — music
  19. pop — soda
  20. current — electric
  21. bound — obliged
  22. saw — the tool
  23. current — happening now
  24. patient — a sick person

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