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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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Word bank
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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 · pound · tear · perch · march

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. root — the cause
  5. root — of a plant
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — the fish
  8. march — music
  9. root — of a word
  10. pound — a weight
  11. tear — from crying
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. tear — to rip
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. march — the month
  16. march — the month
  17. tear — from crying
  18. perch — for a bird

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