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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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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. He is an ace ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. spell — magic
  4. key — for a lock
  5. land — a country
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. key — in music
  10. key — the most important part
  11. land — ground
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. spell — letters
  14. tube — a container
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. spell — a short time
  22. tube — the underground
  23. land — to come down
  24. nail — for a hammer

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