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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 116 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: rule · patient · season · craft · mark · rush · pitcher · ground

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rule — government
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. craft — boats
  8. season — in sport
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. ground — crushed
  11. mark — a grade
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. rush — hurry
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. rule — a law
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. season — of the year
  22. craft — a skill
  23. ground — a position
  24. ground — the earth

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