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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: bore · bulb · patient · suit · court · rule · degree · nail

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. suit — in cards
  3. suit — clothes
  4. court — of law
  5. rule — a law
  6. suit — to fit
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bulb — for light
  9. court — for sport
  10. bore — to drill
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. degree — from a university
  18. degree — temperature
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. rule — government
  21. degree — an amount
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. bore — to tire
  24. court — of a king

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