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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: fall · season · roll · deal · patient · stock · root · content

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. roll — a cake
  4. season — in sport
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. content — the amount
  7. season — of the year
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. stock — shares
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — the season
  14. roll — a list
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. stock — goods
  18. root — the cause
  19. deal — to handle
  20. content — happy
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. fall — to drop
  24. root — of a plant

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