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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. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. root — of a plant
  7. club — for dancing
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. mate — a friend
  15. club — for golf
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. mate — to breed
  20. club — a group
  21. branch — a division
  22. mate — a partner
  23. root — the cause
  24. ruler — for measuring

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