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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 116 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: fan · ruler · patient · net · chair · saw · fine · rule

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. net — in sport
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. rule — government
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. chair — a leader
  12. fine — all right
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. saw — the tool
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. fine — high quality
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. rule — a law
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. saw — the tool
  23. net — for catching
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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