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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. root — of a word
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. branch — a division
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. root — the cause
  9. bore — to tire
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. firm — steady
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. firm — a company
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. field — farmland
  16. root — of a plant
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. field — a subject
  20. field — for sport
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. firm — decided

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