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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 · tube · bulb · current · stem · firm · band · kid

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. firm — steady
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. kid — to tease
  9. current — of water
  10. current — happening now
  11. stem — to come from
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. tube — the underground
  14. firm — a company
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bulb — for light
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. band — a music group
  20. tube — a container
  21. band — a ring
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. firm — decided
  24. kid — child

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