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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: cabinet · patient · mug · stem · dip · fork · club · current

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. current — of water
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. mug — a cup
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. fork — in a road
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. current — electric
  11. dip — to sink
  12. current — happening now
  13. club — a group
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. stem — to come from
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. club — for golf
  21. mug — a face
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. club — for dancing
  24. fork — to eat with

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