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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 · rash · drill · bat · pitch · lie · patient · bulb

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. lie — to recline
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. drill — army training
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. rash — hasty
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. bulb — for light
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. pitch — completely
  18. drill — the tool
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. drill — a practice
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bulb — for light
  23. rash — a series
  24. bat — the animal

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