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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.

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: ruler · patient · dip · racket · last · court · bat · season

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. last — to go on
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. last — finally
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. court — of law
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. season — of the year
  13. bat — the animal
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. dip — to sink
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. season — in sport
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. court — for sport
  23. court — of a king
  24. last — final

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