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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cue · ball · wound · jam · patient · capital · scale · ruler

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. cue — a hint
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. capital — money
  6. cue — a signal
  7. scale — in music
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — an injury
  13. scale — size or range
  14. cue — for pool
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ball — a great time
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. ball — a dance
  22. capital — a city
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. capital — a big letter

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