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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.

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: roll · patient · safe · dip · craft · root · land · capital

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. root — of a plant
  3. capital — a city
  4. land — ground
  5. roll — a cake
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. roll — a list
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. root — of a word
  15. capital — money
  16. root — the cause
  17. craft — a skill
  18. craft — boats
  19. land — to come down
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. dip — to sink
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. capital — a big letter

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