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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 · swing · ruler · vault · rest · cold · pop · game

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. game — a match
  5. rest — what's left
  6. game — wild animals
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. pop — soda
  10. cold — an illness
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. cold — not warm
  14. swing — to play on
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. pop — music
  18. rest — what's left
  19. pop — to visit
  20. vault — a safe
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. rest — a break
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. swing — in golf

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