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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's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. root — of a plant
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. root — of a word
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. face — to point toward
  9. land — to come down
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. root — the cause
  13. face — part of the head
  14. bore — to tire
  15. field — for sport
  16. land — ground
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. land — a country
  19. face — to confront
  20. field — farmland
  21. pit — in a race
  22. bore — to drill
  23. pit — a hole
  24. patient — a sick person

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