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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 116 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: club · patient · squash · staff · current · bass · prune · rock

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. club — for dancing
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. current — electric
  5. rock — music
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bass — low music
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — employees
  10. club — a group
  11. squash — to crush
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. staff — a stick
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. prune — to trim
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rock — a stone
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. current — happening now
  21. club — for golf
  22. current — of water
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. squash — the sport

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