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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: bass · cabinet · craft · kid · jam · patient · stock · wax

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bass — low music
  3. wax — to grow
  4. bass — the fish
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. stock — goods
  11. kid — child
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. kid — to tease
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. craft — boats
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. craft — a skill
  21. stock — shares
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. stock — a soup base

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