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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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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: patient · jam · suit · land · root · track · deal · bulb

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. land — to come down
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. deal — to handle
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. root — the cause
  8. root — of a plant
  9. land — a country
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. root — of a word
  13. suit — in cards
  14. suit — clothes
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. track — a song
  18. land — ground
  19. track — a path
  20. bulb — for light
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. track — to keep track
  23. suit — to fit
  24. bulb — for light

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