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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: bore · patient · cabinet · bowl · ground · pound · cue · mine

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bore — to drill
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. cue — a hint
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. ground — crushed
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. cue — for pool
  13. mine — for digging
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cue — a signal
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. ground — a position
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. pound — a weight
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bore — to tire
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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