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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: pop · patient · ruler · cabinet · straw · root · net · capital

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. capital — money
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. net — for catching
  5. pop — soda
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. pop — music
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. net — after costs
  14. pop — to visit
  15. net — in sport
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. capital — a city
  18. root — the cause
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. root — of a plant
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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