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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. root — the cause
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. field — a subject
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. can — a tin
  11. cue — for pool
  12. tube — a container
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. cue — a hint
  15. cue — a signal
  16. tube — the underground
  17. root — of a plant
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. can — a tin
  21. field — farmland
  22. root — of a word
  23. can — to be able to
  24. field — for sport

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