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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 116 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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. land — to come down
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. file — a tool
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. sharp — clever
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. root — of a word
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. root — the cause
  14. file — a line of people
  15. land — ground
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. file — a document
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. land — a country
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. deal — to handle
  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