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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: row · cue · bank · patient · pop · ruler · perch · clip

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  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. patient — a sick person
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bank — for money
  5. cue — for pool
  6. perch — the fish
  7. cue — a hint
  8. clip — for paper
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. clip — a video
  11. clip — to cut
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bank — for money
  15. row — to paddle
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pop — soda
  19. row — a line
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. pop — music
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. cue — a signal
  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