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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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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: land · kid · present · ruler · drill · band · scale · patient

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. present — there
  5. land — a country
  6. drill — the tool
  7. kid — to tease
  8. scale — in music
  9. land — ground
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. drill — army training
  12. land — to come down
  13. present — the time now
  14. band — a music group
  15. drill — a practice
  16. present — a gift
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. kid — child
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. scale — size or range
  23. band — a ring
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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