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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.

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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: deal · land · patient · pass · object · rule · cap · ruler

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. rule — a law
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. land — a country
  6. deal — to handle
  7. land — ground
  8. cap — a hat
  9. object — to protest
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. object — an aim
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. pass — a permit
  16. cap — a lid
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. object — a thing
  20. land — to come down
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. cap — of ice
  23. rule — government
  24. pass — to succeed

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