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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: patient · leaves · ruler · ball · band · content · pit · hand

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. band — a ring
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. ball — a dance
  10. band — a music group
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. hand — in cards
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. pit — a hole
  16. ball — a great time
  17. content — the amount
  18. content — happy
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. hand — help
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. pit — in a race

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