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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. fine — high quality
  4. cap — a hat
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cap — a lid
  8. fine — all right
  9. court — of law
  10. cap — of ice
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. root — of a plant
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. sharp — clever
  16. court — of a king
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. root — of a word
  20. court — for sport
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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