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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 116 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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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: board · root · patient · kid · firm · scale · capital · deal

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. firm — decided
  3. root — of a word
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. deal — to handle
  7. board — a committee
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. board — to get on
  10. scale — in music
  11. scale — size or range
  12. kid — to tease
  13. kid — child
  14. root — the cause
  15. capital — a city
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. firm — steady
  18. firm — a company
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. root — of a plant
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. patient — a sick person

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