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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: patient · object · pound · tube · ruler · key · squash · rock

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. tube — the underground
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. key — for a lock
  7. object — to protest
  8. rock — a stone
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. squash — to crush
  11. rock — music
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. tube — a container
  14. key — the most important part
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. object — a thing
  18. pound — a weight
  19. key — in music
  20. object — an aim
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. squash — the sport
  24. ruler — a monarch

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