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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.

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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. root — of a word
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. spring — of water
  6. mug — a face
  7. club — a group
  8. pop — music
  9. spring — the season
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. club — for dancing
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. rush — hurry
  15. spring — a coil
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mark — a trace
  18. root — of a plant
  19. mug — a cup
  20. pop — soda
  21. club — for golf
  22. mug — to rob
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. root — the cause

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