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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. wind — moving air
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. deal — to handle
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. stand — to bear
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. bore — to drill
  14. ground — a position
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. ground — the earth
  17. root — of a plant
  18. roll — a list
  19. wind — moving air
  20. root — the cause
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. bore — to tire
  23. root — of a word
  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