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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: chair · game · mate · patient · ruler · stick · bowl · pit

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. game — a match
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. mate — a partner
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. pit — in a race
  11. game — wild animals
  12. mate — to breed
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. mate — a friend
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. chair — a leader
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. pit — a hole
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. patient — a sick person

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