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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: season · current · bass · patient · stand · pound · cell · mouse

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. stand — to bear
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. season — in sport
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bass — the fish
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. current — happening now
  11. current — electric
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. pound — a weight
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. season — of the year
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. bass — low music
  20. current — of water
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. cell — in biology

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