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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.

Make a worksheet

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: mine · ruler · jam · pop · scale · calf · chair · patient

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. mine — for digging
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. scale — size or range
  11. pop — soda
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. pop — music
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. chair — a leader
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. pop — to visit
  23. scale — in music
  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