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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 · pound · cell · club · game · cabinet

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. club — for dancing
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. pound — a weight
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. game — a match
  11. cell — in biology
  12. game — wild animals
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. club — a group
  16. cell — a phone
  17. club — for golf
  18. pound — for dogs

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