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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.

Make a worksheet

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: row · chest · net · club · toast · patient · cabinet · chair

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. club — for dancing
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. net — after costs
  5. row — to paddle
  6. net — in sport
  7. row — a line
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. club — a group
  10. chest — a box
  11. toast — bread
  12. club — for golf
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. chest — of your body
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. chair — a leader
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. chest — of your body

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