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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: cabinet · foot · cell · pound · stand · patient

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. cell — in biology
  7. cell — a phone
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. stand — to bear
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. pound — a weight
  13. foot — a measure
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. patient — a sick person

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