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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  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. patient — a sick person
  3. spring — of water
  4. spring — the season
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. stem — to come from
  7. deal — to handle
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. game — a match
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. spring — a coil
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. game — wild animals
  22. chair — a leader
  23. stem — of a plant
  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