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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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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 · rush · wind · kid · pound · ball · cap · patient

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. cap — a lid
  3. ball — a dance
  4. wind — moving air
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. ball — a great time
  15. kid — child
  16. cap — of ice
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. kid — to tease
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. wind — moving air
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. cap — a hat
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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