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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.

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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: spring · patient · field · arm · staff · root · nail · firm

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. firm — steady
  3. root — of a plant
  4. spring — of water
  5. firm — a company
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. root — of a word
  8. staff — a stick
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. field — farmland
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. spring — a coil
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. staff — employees
  17. spring — the season
  18. root — the cause
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. firm — decided
  22. staff — employees
  23. field — a subject
  24. arm — a part of something

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