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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 · root · land · court · hide · rule · mate · patient

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. mate — a friend
  4. track — a song
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. land — a country
  7. court — for sport
  8. mate — to breed
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. mate — a partner
  12. court — of a king
  13. rule — a law
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. root — of a word
  16. land — to come down
  17. track — to keep track
  18. land — ground
  19. court — of law
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. track — a path
  22. rule — government
  23. root — the cause
  24. root — of a plant

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