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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.

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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: hide · ruler · hand · patient · pass · field · degree · root

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. degree — an amount
  3. field — a subject
  4. root — of a plant
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. field — farmland
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. degree — temperature
  12. root — the cause
  13. degree — from a university
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. hand — in cards
  20. hand — help
  21. root — of a word
  22. field — for sport
  23. pass — a permit
  24. hide — to keep secret

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