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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: bass · clip · game · bulb · firm · current · patient · calf

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. clip — for paper
  3. game — a match
  4. clip — a video
  5. bulb — for light
  6. clip — to cut
  7. current — of water
  8. firm — decided
  9. current — electric
  10. current — happening now
  11. firm — a company
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. firm — steady
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bulb — for light
  18. game — wild animals
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. bass — low music
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bass — the fish

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