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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
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: root · patient · ball · stick · bass · tube · current · march

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. tube — the underground
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. current — happening now
  6. bass — the fish
  7. march — music
  8. march — the month
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. root — of a plant
  11. current — electric
  12. march — the month
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. root — the cause
  17. bass — low music
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. ball — a great time
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. current — of water
  23. root — of a word
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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