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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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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: patient · sharp · root · trunk · mark · firm · scale · wake

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. root — of a plant
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. firm — a company
  5. scale — in music
  6. firm — steady
  7. mark — a grade
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — a trail
  16. firm — decided
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. mark — a trace
  19. sharp — clever
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. root — of a word
  22. scale — size or range
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. root — the cause

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