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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: suit · bass · straw · current · drill · patient · cue · kid

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. suit — to fit
  5. cue — a signal
  6. current — happening now
  7. suit — clothes
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. bass — the fish
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. current — of water
  12. cue — for pool
  13. suit — in cards
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. kid — to tease
  16. drill — the tool
  17. drill — a practice
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. current — electric
  21. cue — a hint
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. drill — army training
  24. bass — low music

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