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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.

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: net · press · root · track · pit · craft · patient · ground

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. ground — the earth
  3. root — of a word
  4. pit — a hole
  5. press — a publisher
  6. pit — in a race
  7. net — in sport
  8. net — for catching
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. net — after costs
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. ground — a position
  15. track — to keep track
  16. press — newspapers
  17. track — a path
  18. ground — crushed
  19. press — to push
  20. root — the cause
  21. root — of a plant
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. craft — a skill
  24. track — a song

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