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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: hand · cabinet · object · capital · patient · current · season · firm

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. object — an aim
  4. firm — steady
  5. capital — a city
  6. capital — money
  7. season — in sport
  8. current — electric
  9. hand — help
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. object — a thing
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. season — of the year
  14. current — of water
  15. object — to protest
  16. hand — in cards
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. current — happening now
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. firm — a company

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