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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. pound — a weight
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. spring — of water
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. shower — to wash
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. spring — a coil
  13. spring — the season
  14. chip — to eat
  15. pit — in a race
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. dip — to sink
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. chip — for betting
  20. pit — a hole
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. shower — rain
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. patient — a sick person

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