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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
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: mark · patient · root · bowl · craft · date · jam · leaves

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. root — of a word
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. mark — a trace
  7. craft — boats
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. craft — a skill
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. mark — a grade
  15. root — of a plant
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. root — the cause
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. date — the fruit

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