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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: object · safe · patient · squash · root · ground · track · capital

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. root — the cause
  4. squash — to crush
  5. root — of a word
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. ground — the earth
  9. ground — crushed
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. track — a song
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. capital — money
  15. ground — a position
  16. object — an aim
  17. object — a thing
  18. track — to keep track
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. squash — the sport
  21. object — to protest
  22. capital — a city
  23. root — of a plant
  24. safe — out of danger

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