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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: roll · bulb · foot · patient · ruler · stick · mate · scale

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. bulb — for light
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. mate — to breed
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. foot — a measure
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. roll — a list
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. mate — a friend
  17. roll — a cake
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. scale — in music
  20. bulb — for light
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. scale — size or range

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