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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 116 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: root · bowl · cell · patient · saw · stock · racket · plane

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. root — of a plant
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. cell — in biology
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. cell — a phone
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. root — the cause
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. stock — shares
  20. root — of a word
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. stock — goods
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. plane — a tool

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