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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. fine — all right
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. bass — the fish
  5. cue — for pool
  6. fine — high quality
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. tube — the underground
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. cue — a hint
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stand — to bear
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bass — low music
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. tube — a container
  22. cue — a signal
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. fan — a supporter

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