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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. root — of a word
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. roll — a list
  7. root — the cause
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. roll — a cake
  10. mate — a friend
  11. mate — a partner
  12. file — a line of people
  13. date — the fruit
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. chip — to eat
  17. chip — for betting
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. file — a tool
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. foot — a measure
  22. mate — to breed
  23. file — a document
  24. root — of a plant

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