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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: net · mark · jam · arm · rule · patient · fork · game

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. game — wild animals
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. rule — a law
  6. rule — government
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. fork — in a road
  9. net — after costs
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mark — a trace
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. net — for catching
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. net — in sport
  22. mark — a grade
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. game — a match

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