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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 · ground · cell · racket · craft · coach · ruler

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. ground — crushed
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. cell — a phone
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. object — a thing
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ground — a position
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. object — an aim
  18. craft — a skill
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. cell — in biology
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. object — to protest
  23. ground — the earth
  24. craft — boats

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