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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: club · pound · cabinet · ground · patient · root · lie · nail

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. ground — crushed
  3. root — the cause
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. club — a group
  7. root — of a plant
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. lie — to recline
  13. ground — a position
  14. club — for golf
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. club — for dancing
  18. ground — the earth
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. pound — a weight
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. nail — on a finger

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