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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: root · season · plane · tube · stand · cap · patient · ground

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. root — the cause
  5. cap — of ice
  6. ground — a position
  7. ground — crushed
  8. season — in sport
  9. cap — a hat
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. root — of a plant
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. tube — the underground
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. root — of a word
  16. plane — a tool
  17. tube — a container
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. cap — a lid
  23. stand — to bear
  24. ground — the earth

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