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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: perch · ground · toast · root · patient · ball · rest · swing

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. swing — to play on
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. swing — in golf
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. rest — a break
  8. rest — what's left
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. root — of a word
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. root — of a plant
  13. rest — what's left
  14. ground — crushed
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. root — the cause
  17. ball — a dance
  18. toast — bread
  19. perch — the fish
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. ball — a great time
  23. swing — music
  24. ground — a position

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