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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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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: scale · ruler · racket · pit · patient · staff

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. staff — employees
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. pit — in a race
  6. scale — in music
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. staff — a stick
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. pit — a hole
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. staff — employees

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