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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 120 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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. land — to come down
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bound — tied together
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. hand — help
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. land — ground
  16. land — a country
  17. bound — certain
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bass — low music
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. hand — in cards
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. racket — for tennis

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