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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 am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. track — a path
  5. track — to keep track
  6. ground — a position
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. root — the cause
  9. club — a group
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. club — for golf
  12. root — of a plant
  13. root — of a word
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. roll — a cake
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. track — a song
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. stand — to bear
  20. ground — the earth
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. club — for dancing
  23. roll — a list
  24. ground — crushed

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