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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: ruler · hand · march · foot · patient · land · can · charge

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. charge — electricity
  4. foot — a measure
  5. hand — help
  6. land — a country
  7. march — the month
  8. land — to come down
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. charge — in control
  13. charge — a price
  14. can — to be able to
  15. hand — in cards
  16. march — music
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — a tin
  20. march — the month
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. ruler — for measuring

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