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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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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 · root · patient · net · rest · charge · court · tear

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. rest — a break
  3. net — in sport
  4. rest — what's left
  5. court — of law
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. root — the cause
  8. net — for catching
  9. court — of a king
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. charge — electricity
  12. tear — from crying
  13. court — for sport
  14. root — of a word
  15. charge — a price
  16. root — of a plant
  17. charge — in control
  18. rest — what's left
  19. tear — to rip
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. net — after costs

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