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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 120 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 · stand · key · bat · patient · spring · march · file

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  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. patient — a sick person
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. file — a document
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. march — the month
  6. stand — to bear
  7. file — a tool
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. march — music
  12. file — a line of people
  13. spring — of water
  14. key — the most important part
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. key — for a lock
  18. key — in music
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. spring — a coil
  22. spring — the season
  23. march — the month
  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