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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: date · cold · patient · craft · object · cabinet · bass · ruler

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. bass — low music
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. object — a thing
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. date — the fruit
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. cold — an illness
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. object — to protest
  13. cold — not warm
  14. craft — boats
  15. object — an aim
  16. craft — a skill
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. bass — the fish
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. ruler — for measuring

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