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

Word bank: mug · stick · patient · swing · cue · ruler

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. cue — a hint
  3. mug — a face
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. mug — to rob
  6. swing — in golf
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. mug — a cup
  12. cue — for pool
  13. swing — music
  14. swing — to play on
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. cue — a signal
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. 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