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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stock · patient · cap · branch · file · wax · root · chip

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. cap — a lid
  3. root — of a plant
  4. stock — goods
  5. cap — of ice
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. chip — for betting
  9. root — the cause
  10. cap — a hat
  11. chip — to eat
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. file — a line of people
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. file — a tool
  16. branch — a division
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wax — to grow
  21. stock — shares
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. root — of a word
  24. file — a document

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