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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: ruler · patient · can · prune · pitch · rule · ball · dip

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. ball — a dance
  3. prune — to trim
  4. ball — a great time
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. can — a tin
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pitch — completely
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. dip — to sink
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. prune — to trim
  19. can — a tin
  20. rule — government
  21. rule — a law
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. can — to be able to

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