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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: cue · patient · band · current · rash · cabinet · deal · mine

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. band — a music group
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. current — happening now
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. mine — for digging
  11. band — a ring
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cue — a hint
  16. rash — hasty
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cue — for pool
  19. deal — to handle
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. current — electric
  23. current — of water
  24. rash — a series

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