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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 120 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: rock · staff · object · patient · rash · game · ground · root

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rash — hasty
  3. staff — employees
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. root — of a plant
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. game — a match
  8. object — an aim
  9. game — wild animals
  10. rock — a stone
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — a stick
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. rash — a series
  15. ground — a position
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. ground — crushed
  18. root — of a word
  19. rock — music
  20. object — to protest
  21. object — a thing
  22. root — the cause
  23. ground — the earth
  24. rock — to move gently

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