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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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468
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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. root — the cause
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. kid — child
  9. root — of a word
  10. mate — a friend
  11. mate — a partner
  12. perch — the fish
  13. pit — in a race
  14. mate — to breed
  15. tube — a container
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. kid — to tease
  21. tube — the underground
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. root — of a plant

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