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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cabinet · root · pitcher · patient · pound · bat · hide · ball

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bat — the animal
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. ball — a great time
  12. root — the cause
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. root — of a plant
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. ball — a dance
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. pound — a weight
  21. root — of a word
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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