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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
468
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: ground · pitcher · net · march · spring · ruler · patient · sharp

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. march — music
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. sharp — clever
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. net — for catching
  10. ground — the earth
  11. ground — a position
  12. march — the month
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. spring — the season
  15. net — after costs
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. spring — a coil
  18. ground — crushed
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. net — in sport
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. march — the month
  24. spring — of water

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