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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: march · shower · patient · staff · root · pass · fork · capital

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. fork — in a road
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. shower — rain
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. root — of a plant
  10. staff — a stick
  11. capital — a city
  12. shower — to wash
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. root — the cause
  15. pass — a permit
  16. staff — employees
  17. march — music
  18. staff — employees
  19. march — the month
  20. march — the month
  21. capital — money
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. pass — to succeed

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