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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 116 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 · club · rush · tube · pitcher · cue · shower · patient

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. tube — the underground
  3. club — a group
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. cue — for pool
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rush — hurry
  14. shower — to wash
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. cue — a hint
  18. tube — a container
  19. cue — a signal
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. shower — rain
  24. club — for golf

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