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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 116 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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. pound — a weight
  3. rule — a law
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. rest — a break
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. field — for sport
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. rule — government
  11. root — of a plant
  12. rush — hurry
  13. field — a subject
  14. season — in sport
  15. field — farmland
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. root — the cause
  19. rest — what's left
  20. root — of a word
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. season — of the year

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