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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: present · bore · patient · root · mate · chip · net · track

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. chip — to eat
  3. net — in sport
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. present — a gift
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. track — a song
  9. mate — a partner
  10. net — for catching
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. root — of a plant
  13. root — of a word
  14. bore — to tire
  15. chip — for betting
  16. present — there
  17. track — a path
  18. track — to keep track
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. mate — a friend
  21. bore — to drill
  22. root — the cause
  23. mate — to breed
  24. present — the time now

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