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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. pop — to visit
  5. root — of a plant
  6. pop — soda
  7. cap — a hat
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — the tool
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. root — the cause
  14. field — for sport
  15. cap — of ice
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. field — a subject
  18. root — of a word
  19. cap — a lid
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. craft — boats
  23. field — farmland
  24. craft — a skill

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