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

Word bank: tube · chair · net · deal · rock · bay · root · patient

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. root — of a word
  3. net — in sport
  4. tube — a container
  5. root — of a plant
  6. deal — to handle
  7. root — the cause
  8. net — after costs
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. tube — the underground
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. rock — music
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rock — a stone
  19. chair — a leader
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. net — for catching
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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