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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. pound — a weight
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. root — of a word
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. mug — to rob
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. perch — the fish
  11. root — the cause
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. mate — a friend
  17. root — of a plant
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. mate — a partner
  20. mug — a face
  21. mate — to breed
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. patient — a sick person

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