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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.

Make a worksheet

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: cabinet · patient · net · object · arm · tube · bass · fork

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. net — for catching
  3. fork — in a road
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. tube — a container
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bass — low music
  12. net — in sport
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. object — to protest
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. tube — the underground
  17. object — a thing
  18. bass — the fish
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. net — after costs
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. object — an aim
  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