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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 · fine · bay · pit · bat · mine · ruler · rock

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. mine — for digging
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. rock — a stone
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. fine — high quality
  9. pit — in a race
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. rock — music
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. fine — all right
  19. pit — a hole
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. bay — a horse colour

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