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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: spring · net · date · racket · patient · ball · cabinet · cue

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. net — for catching
  5. cue — a signal
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. date — the fruit
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. ball — a dance
  12. net — after costs
  13. spring — a coil
  14. cue — a hint
  15. ball — a great time
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. net — in sport
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. spring — the season
  22. cue — for pool
  23. spring — of water
  24. date — on the calendar

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