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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: spring · jam · row · ground · mate · root · swing · patient

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. swing — music
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. spring — a coil
  6. row — a line
  7. spring — the season
  8. ground — the earth
  9. root — the cause
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. mate — a friend
  13. swing — to play on
  14. spring — of water
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. root — of a plant
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. ground — a position
  19. ground — crushed
  20. root — of a word
  21. row — to paddle
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. mate — a partner
  24. swing — in golf

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