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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: branch · rush · present · stock · patient · perch · root · can

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. stock — goods
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. root — of a plant
  5. present — the time now
  6. root — of a word
  7. stock — shares
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. branch — a division
  10. can — a tin
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. present — a gift
  13. can — a tin
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. root — the cause
  16. can — to be able to
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. rush — hurry
  22. perch — the fish
  23. present — there
  24. patient — a sick person

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