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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: ruler · court · patient · pitcher · bank · mouse · tear · object

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. object — a thing
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bank — of a river
  6. tear — to rip
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. object — to protest
  12. bank — for money
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bank — for money
  16. court — of a king
  17. court — for sport
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. tear — from crying
  20. object — an aim
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. tear — from crying
  24. ruler — for measuring

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