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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ball · cold · nail · patient · roll · pit · current · ruler

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ball — a dance
  10. cold — an illness
  11. roll — a cake
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. roll — a list
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. cold — not warm
  16. current — happening now
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. current — electric
  20. current — of water
  21. ball — a great time
  22. pit — a hole
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. pit — in a race

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