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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: calf · deal · capital · field · ruler · rule · vault · patient

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. vault — a safe
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. field — for sport
  13. field — a subject
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. capital — a city
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. field — farmland
  18. rule — government
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. capital — money
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. rule — a law
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. deal — to handle

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