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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
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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: bear · root · degree · capital · patient · craft · board · bark

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bark — to shout
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. craft — boats
  6. degree — from a university
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. degree — temperature
  13. board — to get on
  14. root — of a word
  15. capital — a city
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. root — of a plant
  18. root — the cause
  19. capital — money
  20. degree — an amount
  21. board — a committee
  22. bear — the animal
  23. craft — a skill
  24. board — a flat piece

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