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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: track · patient · snap · rule · mate · root · ball · calf

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. root — of a plant
  3. track — to keep track
  4. rule — government
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. mate — to breed
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. ball — a great time
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. track — a song
  13. mate — a partner
  14. rule — a law
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. track — a path
  18. snap — to click
  19. mate — a friend
  20. root — the cause
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. ball — a dance
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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