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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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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 · degree · calf · field · bass · rush · patient · cue

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cue — for pool
  5. rush — hurry
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. bass — the fish
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. bass — low music
  14. field — a subject
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. degree — an amount
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. field — farmland
  20. field — for sport
  21. degree — temperature
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cue — a signal
  24. degree — from a university

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