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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.

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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: field · ruler · mug · trunk · degree · land · rush · patient

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. field — for sport
  5. mug — a face
  6. mug — to rob
  7. land — ground
  8. rush — hurry
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. field — farmland
  15. mug — a cup
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. land — to come down
  19. degree — an amount
  20. land — a country
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. degree — from a university
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. degree — temperature

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