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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: fine · rule · race · patient · cue · net · cabinet · bore

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. net — after costs
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. fine — high quality
  6. net — for catching
  7. cue — a hint
  8. rule — government
  9. bore — to drill
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. fine — all right
  13. net — in sport
  14. cue — for pool
  15. race — the arms race
  16. cue — a signal
  17. bore — to tire
  18. rule — a law
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. race — humankind
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. race — a contest

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