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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 · craft · cabinet · net · patient · firm · mark · stem

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. stem — to come from
  8. craft — boats
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. firm — a company
  11. firm — decided
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. net — for catching
  17. mark — a grade
  18. net — in sport
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. mark — a trace
  21. firm — steady
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. date — the fruit
  24. net — after costs

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