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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: mate · kick · game · ruler · patient · spring · object · pop

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. object — an aim
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. pop — music
  5. pop — to visit
  6. pop — soda
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. object — a thing
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. object — to protest
  14. game — wild animals
  15. mate — a friend
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. game — a match
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. mate — a partner
  20. spring — a coil
  21. spring — of water
  22. mate — to breed
  23. spring — the season
  24. kick — with a leg

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