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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: mug · root · board · patient · stem · suit · face · pound

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. suit — to fit
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. face — to confront
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. root — of a word
  9. mug — a cup
  10. board — a committee
  11. pound — a weight
  12. suit — in cards
  13. board — to get on
  14. root — of a plant
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. root — the cause
  17. stem — to come from
  18. mug — to rob
  19. mug — a face
  20. face — to point toward
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. face — part of the head
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. stem — a stem cell

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