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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. ground — the earth
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. root — of a plant
  7. ground — crushed
  8. root — the cause
  9. field — a subject
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. capital — money
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. capital — a city
  17. lean — thin
  18. date — the fruit
  19. field — for sport
  20. lean — to bend
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. root — of a word
  24. field — farmland

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