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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. present — the time now
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. drill — a practice
  7. present — a gift
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. root — the cause
  10. bound — certain
  11. season — in sport
  12. root — of a word
  13. bound — tied together
  14. root — of a plant
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. drill — army training
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. drill — the tool
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. present — there
  21. bound — obliged
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. calf — a young animal

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