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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. date — the fruit
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. court — for sport
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. root — of a word
  9. staff — employees
  10. tube — the underground
  11. root — the cause
  12. court — of law
  13. firm — decided
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. court — of a king
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. firm — a company
  18. root — of a plant
  19. tube — a container
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. staff — employees
  22. firm — steady
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. date — on the calendar

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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