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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  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. patient — a sick person
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. firm — decided
  5. bear — the animal
  6. ground — crushed
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. root — of a plant
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. firm — a company
  13. firm — steady
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. ground — the earth
  17. root — the cause
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. bear — the animal
  20. ground — a position
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. root — of a word
  23. dip — to sink
  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