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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 116 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: pit · bank · patient · row · root · content · cabinet · sharp

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. bank — of a river
  3. root — of a plant
  4. content — the amount
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. row — a line
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. bank — for money
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. content — happy
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. pit — in a race
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. root — of a word
  17. bank — for money
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. pit — a hole
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. sharp — clever
  23. root — the cause
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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