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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: fork · patient · spring · toast · bay · deal · cabinet · bass

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. deal — to handle
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. spring — the season
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. fork — in a road
  12. toast — bread
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. spring — of water
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bass — low music
  17. spring — a coil
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bass — the instrument

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