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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: tear · root · charge · pop · board · drill · patient · ground

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. tear — from crying
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. ground — a position
  5. root — of a plant
  6. board — to get on
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. charge — in control
  9. charge — a price
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. pop — to visit
  12. drill — army training
  13. ground — crushed
  14. ground — the earth
  15. tear — to rip
  16. root — the cause
  17. root — of a word
  18. tear — from crying
  19. pop — soda
  20. charge — electricity
  21. board — a committee
  22. pop — music
  23. drill — the tool
  24. drill — a practice

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