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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bulb — for light
  6. root — the cause
  7. can — a tin
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. season — of the year
  12. can — to be able to
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. can — a tin
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bulb — for light
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. root — of a plant
  21. date — the fruit
  22. season — in sport
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. jam — in traffic

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