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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 120 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: bat · patient · suit · fork · saw · pass · root · file

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. suit — clothes
  5. saw — the tool
  6. file — a tool
  7. root — of a word
  8. file — a line of people
  9. root — of a plant
  10. fork — in a road
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. bat — the animal
  13. file — a document
  14. saw — the tool
  15. suit — in cards
  16. suit — to fit
  17. root — the cause
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. pass — a permit
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. fork — to eat with

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