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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: spring · toast · game · degree · patient · cue · ruler · bay

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. degree — temperature
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. spring — of water
  5. degree — an amount
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. game — wild animals
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. game — a match
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. toast — bread
  14. degree — from a university
  15. spring — the season
  16. spring — a coil
  17. cue — for pool
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. cue — a signal
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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