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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. net — in sport
  3. root — of a word
  4. squash — the sport
  5. net — for catching
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. root — the cause
  9. ball — a great time
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. fork — in a road
  12. squash — to crush
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. net — after costs
  15. ball — a dance
  16. root — of a plant
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. patient — a sick person

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