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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.

Make a worksheet

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: arm · current · game · patient · bass · nail · kick · pit

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. kick — in football
  4. game — a match
  5. current — of water
  6. bass — the fish
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. bass — low music
  12. current — happening now
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. game — wild animals
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. current — electric
  21. pit — a hole
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. pit — in a race
  24. kick — a thrill

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