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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: rush · net · pit · coach · cabinet · can · ground · patient

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. pit — a hole
  3. can — a tin
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. ground — the earth
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. net — in sport
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. ground — a position
  14. can — a tin
  15. net — after costs
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. net — for catching
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. can — to be able to
  22. ground — crushed
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. pit — in a race

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