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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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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: pass · patient · roll · kid · fork · present · cap · ruler

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. cap — of ice
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. fork — in a road
  7. present — the time now
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. present — a gift
  11. cap — a lid
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. kid — child
  14. pass — a permit
  15. kid — to tease
  16. roll — a list
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. present — there
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. cap — a hat
  24. roll — a cake

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