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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: toast · fine · root · patient · kick · court · jam · pound

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. root — of a word
  4. toast — bread
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. court — for sport
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. court — of a king
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. fine — all right
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. pound — a weight
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. court — of law
  21. fine — high quality
  22. root — the cause
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. kick — in football

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