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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: stand · racket · patient · pitcher · race · last · root · lean

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. race — humankind
  3. stand — to bear
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. last — to go on
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. race — the arms race
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. last — finally
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. lean — to bend
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. last — final
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. root — the cause
  18. race — a contest
  19. root — of a plant
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. lean — thin
  24. stand — for spectators

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