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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: mug · ruler · key · patient · degree · straw · stick · charge

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. charge — a price
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. degree — temperature
  5. key — in music
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. mug — to rob
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. mug — a face
  12. charge — electricity
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. degree — from a university
  18. key — for a lock
  19. charge — in control
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. degree — an amount
  23. mug — a cup
  24. key — the most important part

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