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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 116 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: bass · kid · mouse · mate · stick · safe · patient · pop

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. mate — a friend
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. kid — child
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. pop — music
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. pop — soda
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. mate — a partner
  12. kid — to tease
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. pop — to visit
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bass — low music
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. mate — to breed
  24. bass — the fish

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