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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.

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: ball · cabinet · track · patient · plane · cap · staff · ground

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. ground — crushed
  3. cap — a hat
  4. staff — employees
  5. cap — of ice
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ground — the earth
  9. ground — a position
  10. plane — a tool
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. ball — a great time
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. track — a song
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a path
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — a stick
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. ball — a dance
  23. cap — a lid
  24. plane — an aircraft

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