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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.

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: ball · stand · ground · track · kick · patient · root · file

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. track — a song
  3. root — of a plant
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ball — a dance
  7. root — of a word
  8. root — the cause
  9. ground — crushed
  10. ground — the earth
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. file — a document
  13. track — a path
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. track — to keep track
  16. file — a line of people
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. file — a tool
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. kick — in football
  21. ground — a position
  22. stand — to bear
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. stand — on your feet

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