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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. kid — child
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. tube — the underground
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bank — of a river
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. roll — a list
  12. bank — for money
  13. root — of a plant
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. kid — to tease
  18. root — of a word
  19. tube — a container
  20. root — the cause
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bank — for money
  23. date — the fruit
  24. roll — a cake

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