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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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. roll — a cake
  4. roll — a list
  5. root — of a word
  6. kid — to tease
  7. branch — a division
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. present — the time now
  10. root — the cause
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. present — there
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. rock — a stone
  18. present — a gift
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. rock — music
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. kid — child
  24. root — of a plant

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