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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. cue — a hint
  3. degree — an amount
  4. branch — a division
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. root — of a word
  8. degree — temperature
  9. rush — hurry
  10. degree — from a university
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. root — the cause
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. kid — to tease
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. deal — to handle
  17. root — of a plant
  18. cue — a signal
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. cue — for pool
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. kid — child
  24. deal — an agreement

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