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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 120 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: pitcher · sharp · chair · kid · cabinet · patient · plane · tube

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. tube — a container
  3. plane — a tool
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. sharp — clever
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. tube — the underground
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. kid — child
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. chair — a leader
  22. kid — to tease
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. cabinet — ministers

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