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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: root · jam · net · content · plane · stand · patient · saw

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. saw — the tool
  8. plane — a tool
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. net — in sport
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. net — after costs
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. content — the amount
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. stand — to bear
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. content — happy
  20. net — for catching
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. root — of a word
  23. root — of a plant
  24. root — the cause

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