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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: tube · root · field · charge · bat · chair · bore · patient

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. field — for sport
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. charge — in control
  6. bore — to tire
  7. tube — a container
  8. chair — a leader
  9. field — a subject
  10. tube — the underground
  11. field — farmland
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bat — the animal
  14. charge — a price
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. bore — to drill
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. root — of a word
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. root — of a plant
  23. charge — electricity
  24. bat — in an idiom

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