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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: kid · root · cap · patient · bank · staff · row · pass

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. kid — child
  3. pass — a permit
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. row — to paddle
  6. cap — of ice
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. bank — for money
  11. root — of a word
  12. root — of a plant
  13. root — the cause
  14. bank — of a river
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. cap — a lid
  18. staff — employees
  19. kid — to tease
  20. row — a line
  21. staff — a stick
  22. bank — for money
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. cap — a hat

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