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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bound · present · field · cabinet · cap · stem · patient · cue

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. stem — to come from
  3. cue — a hint
  4. bound — tied together
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. present — there
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. field — for sport
  9. cue — for pool
  10. present — the time now
  11. cap — a hat
  12. field — farmland
  13. bound — obliged
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. present — a gift
  16. bound — certain
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. field — a subject
  21. cue — a signal
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cap — of ice
  24. 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