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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 116 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: chair · patient · can · pitch · cabinet · mark · ball · kid

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. pitch — completely
  6. chair — a leader
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. ball — a dance
  11. can — a tin
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. can — to be able to
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. kid — child
  19. mark — a trace
  20. kid — to tease
  21. can — a tin
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. ball — a great time
  24. mark — a grade

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