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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: ruler · can · patient · content · field · spring · capital · clip

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. can — a tin
  5. clip — a video
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. spring — the season
  9. can — to be able to
  10. spring — a coil
  11. capital — a city
  12. clip — for paper
  13. field — a subject
  14. capital — money
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. field — farmland
  17. can — a tin
  18. spring — of water
  19. content — the amount
  20. content — happy
  21. clip — to cut
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. field — for sport

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