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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: date · coach · cue · cabinet · current · rash · stand · patient

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. current — happening now
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. rash — a series
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. stand — to bear
  10. current — of water
  11. cue — a signal
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. date — the fruit
  16. current — electric
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. rash — hasty
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. cue — a hint
  24. cue — for pool

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