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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: ground · roll · mate · scale · toast · march · patient · root

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. toast — bread
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. march — the month
  5. root — the cause
  6. ground — crushed
  7. mate — to breed
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. march — music
  10. march — the month
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. root — of a plant
  14. mate — a friend
  15. roll — a cake
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. root — of a word
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. scale — in music
  20. ground — a position
  21. roll — a list
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. scale — size or range
  24. mate — a partner

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