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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: can · field · saw · bore · patient · root · dip · current

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bore — to drill
  3. root — of a word
  4. bore — to tire
  5. field — farmland
  6. saw — the tool
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. root — the cause
  10. current — happening now
  11. root — of a plant
  12. current — electric
  13. field — for sport
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. current — of water
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. can — a tin
  20. field — a subject
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. dip — to sink
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — a sick person

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