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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 · fan · kid · charge · stem · can · patient · land

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. land — to come down
  3. bass — the fish
  4. kid — child
  5. stem — to come from
  6. land — ground
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. charge — electricity
  9. can — a tin
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. charge — a price
  14. bass — low music
  15. charge — in control
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. can — to be able to
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. land — a country
  20. kid — to tease
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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