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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: bat · cue · mark · ruler · swing · patient · jam · stem

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. cue — for pool
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. swing — music
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. mark — a trace
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. stem — to come from
  11. swing — to play on
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. bat — the animal
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. swing — in golf
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. mark — a grade
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. cue — a hint
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. cue — a signal

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