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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. firm — steady
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. track — to keep track
  5. root — the cause
  6. root — of a word
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. mate — a partner
  9. capital — money
  10. track — a path
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. track — a song
  14. mate — a friend
  15. mate — to breed
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. firm — decided
  19. root — of a plant
  20. ball — a dance
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. capital — a city
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. ball — a great time

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