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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: present · firm · content · patient · bore · squash · field · root

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. squash — to crush
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. root — the cause
  5. field — farmland
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bore — to drill
  8. firm — decided
  9. firm — a company
  10. field — for sport
  11. present — the time now
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. content — happy
  14. field — a subject
  15. root — of a word
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. content — the amount
  18. present — a gift
  19. firm — steady
  20. squash — the sport
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. present — there
  23. bore — to tire
  24. root — of a plant

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