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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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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: calf · patient · land · present · fan · root · stand · racket

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  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. patient — calm and waiting
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. land — to come down
  5. stand — to bear
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. root — the cause
  8. present — a gift
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. present — the time now
  13. land — a country
  14. root — of a word
  15. land — ground
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. present — there
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. root — of a plant
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. stand — for spectators
  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