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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: rest · patient · ruler · net · pitch · ball · bat · current

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. net — in sport
  3. rest — what's left
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. current — happening now
  6. current — of water
  7. rest — what's left
  8. net — for catching
  9. pitch — completely
  10. bat — the animal
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. ball — a great time
  19. current — electric
  20. ball — a dance
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. net — after costs
  23. rest — a break
  24. ball — a round shape

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