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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. tube — a container
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. spring — of water
  12. plane — a tool
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. spring — a coil
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. root — the cause
  17. bat — the animal
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. root — of a word
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. tube — the underground
  24. spring — the season

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