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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. scale — in music
  8. field — a subject
  9. game — a match
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. field — farmland
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. field — for sport
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. root — of a word
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. tube — the underground
  18. root — the cause
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. scale — size or range
  21. lie — to recline
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. tube — a container
  24. game — wild animals

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