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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.

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: current · bass · patient · date · coach · arm · game · fan

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. current — electric
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. current — of water
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. current — happening now
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bass — the fish
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. date — the fruit
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bass — low music
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. game — a match
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. game — wild animals
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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