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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 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. chip — for betting
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. degree — an amount
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. root — of a plant
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. can — a tin
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. degree — temperature
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. can — to be able to
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. degree — from a university
  19. mine — for digging
  20. can — a tin
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. chip — to eat
  24. root — the cause

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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