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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. root — of a word
  4. root — the cause
  5. bass — the fish
  6. stand — to bear
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. degree — an amount
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bass — low music
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. pit — a hole
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. degree — temperature
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. pit — in a race
  20. degree — from a university
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. bat — the animal
  23. root — of a plant
  24. bass — the instrument

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