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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: firm · root · land · bore · rule · scale · patient · bulb

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. bore — to tire
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bulb — for light
  5. root — of a plant
  6. root — of a word
  7. bulb — for light
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. land — to come down
  10. rule — a law
  11. land — ground
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. root — the cause
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. rule — government
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. scale — size or range
  20. land — a country
  21. firm — a company
  22. bore — to drill
  23. scale — in music
  24. firm — steady

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