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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: pitcher · pop · patient · fine · root · straw · bulb · jam

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. pop — music
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bulb — for light
  13. root — of a word
  14. root — the cause
  15. pop — to visit
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. pop — soda
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. bulb — for light
  21. fine — all right
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. fine — high quality
  24. root — of a plant

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