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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: ruler · march · shower · rush · patient · ball · jam · can

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. ball — a great time
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. shower — to wash
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. can — a tin
  11. shower — rain
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. can — to be able to
  14. march — music
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. rush — hurry
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ball — a dance
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. march — the month
  23. march — the month
  24. can — a tin

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