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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: cold · fork · squash · net · charge · patient · cabinet · firm

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. cold — not warm
  3. charge — in control
  4. fork — in a road
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. net — for catching
  8. firm — a company
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. squash — the sport
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. charge — a price
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. firm — decided
  16. net — in sport
  17. cold — an illness
  18. firm — steady
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. squash — to crush
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. net — after costs
  24. charge — electricity

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