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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.

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: rash · ball · field · can · cabinet · chip · fan · patient

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. ball — a great time
  4. rash — hasty
  5. field — a subject
  6. can — to be able to
  7. chip — for betting
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. rash — a series
  11. can — a tin
  12. field — farmland
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. ball — a dance
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. field — for sport
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. can — a tin
  21. chip — to eat
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. fan — a supporter

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