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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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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 · cold · firm · patient · net · rule · cue · root

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. root — of a word
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. cue — a signal
  6. net — for catching
  7. firm — steady
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. root — the cause
  10. firm — a company
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. net — after costs
  13. cold — not warm
  14. net — in sport
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. cue — a hint
  17. rule — government
  18. rule — a law
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. root — of a plant
  21. firm — decided
  22. cold — an illness
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. cue — for pool

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