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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: race · net · patient · firm · deal · last · foot · root

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. deal — to handle
  4. net — for catching
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. root — of a word
  7. net — after costs
  8. last — final
  9. root — the cause
  10. race — a contest
  11. race — humankind
  12. root — of a plant
  13. last — to go on
  14. firm — decided
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. net — in sport
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. firm — a company
  20. race — the arms race
  21. foot — a measure
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. firm — steady

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