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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 120 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: field · root · pop · file · cap · bank · stock · dip

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. file — a document
  3. cap — a hat
  4. stock — goods
  5. field — for sport
  6. root — of a word
  7. file — a tool
  8. file — a line of people
  9. dip — to sink
  10. field — farmland
  11. root — the cause
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. stock — shares
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. field — a subject
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. cap — of ice
  18. pop — soda
  19. root — of a plant
  20. pop — music
  21. cap — a lid
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bank — for money

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