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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: stick · court · jam · fork · root · patient · rash · mine

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. rash — hasty
  4. court — of a king
  5. root — the cause
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. fork — in a road
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. rash — a series
  10. court — of law
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. mine — for digging
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. court — for sport
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. root — of a word
  24. jam — a tight spot

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