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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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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: patient · capital · arm · present · cue · ruler · mark · sharp

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. sharp — clever
  3. mark — a trace
  4. mark — a grade
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. present — a gift
  9. present — the time now
  10. cue — a signal
  11. cue — a hint
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. capital — a city
  21. present — there
  22. cue — for pool
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. patient — a sick person

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