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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pitcher · key · current · face · cap · patient · root · net

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. root — of a plant
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. root — the cause
  5. net — for catching
  6. key — for a lock
  7. key — the most important part
  8. current — happening now
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. face — to confront
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. face — part of the head
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. current — of water
  15. key — in music
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. cap — a lid
  19. current — electric
  20. net — in sport
  21. root — of a word
  22. cap — a hat
  23. net — after costs
  24. cap — of ice

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