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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.

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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: bay · fan · row · patient · court · root · rule · spell

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. row — to paddle
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. root — the cause
  6. row — a line
  7. court — for sport
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. rule — government
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. rule — a law
  14. root — of a plant
  15. root — of a word
  16. spell — letters
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. spell — a short time
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. court — of law
  24. court — of a king

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