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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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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: chip · bulb · court · patient · stand · lie · cabinet · rule

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. court — of law
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. rule — a law
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chip — for betting
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. court — for sport
  12. rule — government
  13. bulb — for light
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. stand — to bear
  16. bulb — for light
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. court — of a king
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. lie — to recline

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