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

Word bank: pound · rule · patient · file · cabinet · net · jam · cap

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. 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. jam — in traffic
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pound — a weight
  7. net — for catching
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. file — a document
  10. cap — a lid
  11. rule — government
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. net — in sport
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. file — a line of people
  20. file — a tool
  21. cap — of ice
  22. rule — a law
  23. net — after costs
  24. 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