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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
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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: suit · patient · mouse · foot · straw · bass · key · can

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. can — to be able to
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. suit — clothes
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. key — the most important part
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. can — a tin
  14. bass — the fish
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. suit — to fit
  18. key — in music
  19. foot — a measure
  20. can — a tin
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. key — for a lock
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. patient — a sick person

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