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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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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: tube · pound · cabinet · current · fork · cap · patient · spring

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. spring — the season
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. tube — a container
  6. cap — a hat
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cap — of ice
  9. tube — the underground
  10. current — happening now
  11. current — electric
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. fork — in a road
  17. cap — a lid
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. spring — a coil
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. spring — of water
  23. current — of water
  24. pound — to hit hard

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