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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 124 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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. root — of a word
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. root — of a plant
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. toast — bread
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. pass — a permit
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fork — in a road
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. trunk — of a tree

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