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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. ground — a position
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. root — the cause
  7. root — of a plant
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. ground — the earth
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — the fruit
  13. ground — crushed
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. suit — clothes
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. root — of a word
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. suit — to fit
  23. suit — in cards
  24. racket — for tennis

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