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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: patient · hide · current · bass · stock · bay · dip · present

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. present — there
  4. current — happening now
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. bass — low music
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. current — of water
  12. current — electric
  13. stock — shares
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. dip — to sink
  18. present — the time now
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bass — the fish
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. stock — goods

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