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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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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: pitch · patient · ruler · fine · rush · arm · branch · hand

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. hand — help
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. rush — hurry
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pitch — completely
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. fine — high quality
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. branch — a division
  21. hand — in cards
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. patient — a sick person

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