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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
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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: mine · cap · patient · root · bear · mug · content · suit

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. mug — a face
  3. content — happy
  4. suit — clothes
  5. bear — the animal
  6. cap — a lid
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. root — of a plant
  9. suit — to fit
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. mug — to rob
  14. root — of a word
  15. cap — a hat
  16. content — the amount
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. mug — a cup
  20. bear — the animal
  21. root — the cause
  22. mine — for digging
  23. cap — of ice
  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