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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.

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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: patient · net · root · tube · racket · row · ground · pit

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. ground — crushed
  6. pit — in a race
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. net — for catching
  9. ground — a position
  10. row — to paddle
  11. row — a line
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. root — of a plant
  14. net — in sport
  15. root — of a word
  16. tube — a container
  17. pit — a hole
  18. net — after costs
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. tube — the underground
  21. root — the cause
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. ground — the earth

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