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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. mine — for digging
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. kick — in football
  7. prune — to trim
  8. mark — a grade
  9. prune — to trim
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. root — the cause
  14. net — in sport
  15. root — of a plant
  16. net — for catching
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. root — of a word
  20. net — after costs
  21. mark — a trace
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — ministers

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