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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: root · patient · last · pound · race · racket

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. last — finally
  4. root — the cause
  5. last — final
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. race — the arms race
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. last — to go on
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. root — of a word
  14. race — humankind
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. root — of a plant
  17. race — a contest
  18. racket — for tennis

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