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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 120 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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. track — a path
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bat — the animal
  6. tube — the underground
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mate — to breed
  9. chip — to eat
  10. tube — a container
  11. drill — a practice
  12. chip — for betting
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. root — of a word
  15. drill — army training
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. track — a song
  18. mate — a partner
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. track — to keep track
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. drill — the tool
  24. root — the cause

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