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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. spring — a coil
  6. craft — a skill
  7. pass — a permit
  8. spring — the season
  9. spring — of water
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. root — of a word
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. root — of a plant
  15. craft — boats
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. branch — a division

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