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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: ball · nail · cap · bound · fork · staff · ruler · patient

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. cap — a hat
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. cap — of ice
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. staff — employees
  10. fork — in a road
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. staff — a stick
  15. staff — employees
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. bound — certain
  20. cap — a lid
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bound — tied together
  24. ball — a dance

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