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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: scale · can · patient · wound · ruler · present · spring · bat

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. present — a gift
  5. can — a tin
  6. present — the time now
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. spring — the season
  9. can — a tin
  10. spring — of water
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. present — there
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. wound — an injury
  18. can — to be able to
  19. wound — an injury
  20. spring — a coil
  21. scale — size or range
  22. bat — the animal
  23. scale — in music
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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