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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: root · patient · bear · net · roll · bat · ball · pitcher

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. ball — a dance
  9. bear — the animal
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. root — of a word
  13. net — after costs
  14. net — in sport
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. roll — a cake
  17. ball — a great time
  18. roll — a list
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. root — the cause
  24. root — of a plant

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