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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.

Make a worksheet

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: pit · patient · root · bass · stock · file · rock · leaves

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. pit — in a race
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. rock — music
  6. bass — the fish
  7. file — a line of people
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. pit — a hole
  10. bass — low music
  11. root — the cause
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. root — of a plant
  14. stock — goods
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. rock — a stone
  17. root — of a word
  18. stock — shares
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. file — a document
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. stock — a soup base

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