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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: patient · rule · bore · kid · root · pound

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. kid — child
  6. rule — a law
  7. root — of a plant
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bore — to tire
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. root — of a word
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. rule — government
  14. bore — to drill
  15. kid — to tease
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. root — the cause

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