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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: stick · patient · hand · row · date · cabinet · staff · racket

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. row — a line
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. staff — a stick
  9. row — to paddle
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. hand — help
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. hand — in cards
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. date — the fruit
  20. staff — employees
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. staff — employees
  24. patient — a sick person

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