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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: patient · court · rest · chip · safe · ruler

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. chip — for betting
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. court — for sport
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. rest — what's left
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. rest — what's left
  11. chip — to eat
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. court — of a king
  15. rest — a break
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. ruler — for measuring

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