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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: coach · rash · ruler · cue · patient · prune · mine · degree

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. cue — for pool
  4. mine — for digging
  5. rash — a series
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. degree — temperature
  8. degree — from a university
  9. cue — a hint
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. rash — hasty
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. prune — to trim
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. cue — a signal
  24. ruler — a monarch

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