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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.

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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.

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: nail · cabinet · field · patient · tube · racket · fork · fan

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. tube — a container
  3. field — a subject
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. field — for sport
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. tube — the underground
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. fork — in a road
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. field — farmland
  24. cabinet — ministers

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