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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. net — after costs
  4. net — for catching
  5. rock — music
  6. net — in sport
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. root — of a plant
  12. branch — a division
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. bound — tied together
  15. rock — a stone
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bound — certain
  18. root — of a word
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. root — the cause
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. bound — obliged
  24. fork — in a road

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