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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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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: pit · trunk · ruler · cell · patient · band · game · bass

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. bass — the fish
  9. game — wild animals
  10. cell — a phone
  11. bass — low music
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. band — a ring
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. game — a match
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. cell — in biology
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. pit — a hole
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. band — a music group

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