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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: spring · jam · patient · dip · bowl · mate · toast · root

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. mate — to breed
  4. toast — bread
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. spring — the season
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. mate — a partner
  9. root — of a word
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. root — of a plant
  16. root — the cause
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. spring — a coil
  20. mate — a friend
  21. spring — of water
  22. dip — to sink
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — a sick person

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