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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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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: court · jam · root · tear · fork · hide · mouse · patient

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. fork — in a road
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. tear — from crying
  10. court — of law
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. root — of a word
  13. court — for sport
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. court — of a king
  16. tear — to rip
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. root — the cause
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. tear — from crying
  24. hide — to keep secret

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