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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: stick · key · foot · present · wind · patient · stock · root

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. root — of a plant
  5. present — a gift
  6. key — for a lock
  7. stock — goods
  8. present — the time now
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. key — the most important part
  12. key — in music
  13. present — there
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. root — of a word
  16. wind — moving air
  17. stock — shares
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. root — the cause
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. foot — a measure
  24. wind — moving air

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