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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: patient · craft · ball · root · mate · stand · band · foot

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. craft — boats
  3. band — a ring
  4. mate — a friend
  5. root — the cause
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. ball — a great time
  11. root — of a plant
  12. mate — to breed
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. stand — to bear
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. ball — a dance
  17. foot — a measure
  18. band — a music group
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. craft — a skill
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. root — of a word

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