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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 120 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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. prune — to trim
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. root — the cause
  5. root — of a word
  6. march — music
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. board — a committee
  9. spring — a coil
  10. march — the month
  11. root — of a plant
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. march — the month
  14. stock — shares
  15. prune — to trim
  16. spring — the season
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. board — to get on
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. stock — goods
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. spring — of water
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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