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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.

Make a worksheet

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: cabinet · roll · fine · patient · cap · ruler · net · content

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  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. content — happy
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. fine — high quality
  9. net — after costs
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. cap — a lid
  14. net — for catching
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. fine — all right
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. roll — a list
  19. net — in sport
  20. content — the amount
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. roll — a cake
  23. cap — a hat
  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