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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 120 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 · patient · stick · bound · deal · coach · mouse · game

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. game — wild animals
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bound — tied together
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. deal — to handle
  20. game — a match
  21. bound — obliged
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bound — certain

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