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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.

Make a worksheet

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: perch · patient · straw · game · mug · fine · ruler · ground

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. fine — all right
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. game — wild animals
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. ground — a position
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. mug — a face
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. mug — a cup
  15. fine — high quality
  16. perch — the fish
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. ground — the earth
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. mug — to rob
  22. game — a match
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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