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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: bore · calf · pass · pound · patient · root · chip · fan

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bore — to drill
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. bore — to tire
  10. pound — a weight
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. chip — to eat
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. chip — for betting
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. root — the cause
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. pass — a permit
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. root — of a plant
  23. pass — to spend time
  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