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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: coach · charge · scale · cue · ruler · patient · wake · pitcher

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. cue — for pool
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. charge — electricity
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. cue — a signal
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. wake — a trail
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. scale — size or range
  17. scale — in music
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. charge — in control
  21. cue — a hint
  22. charge — a price
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. coach — a trainer

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