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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
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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: squash · staff · present · patient · dip · cap · jam · cabinet

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. cap — of ice
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. present — a gift
  6. present — the time now
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. present — there
  13. squash — to crush
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. staff — a stick
  16. staff — employees
  17. dip — to sink
  18. cap — a hat
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. cap — a lid
  21. squash — the sport
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. staff — employees

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