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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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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: club · march · dip · root · patient · stock · shower · net

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. shower — to wash
  3. march — music
  4. root — the cause
  5. net — in sport
  6. root — of a plant
  7. dip — to sink
  8. march — the month
  9. net — for catching
  10. march — the month
  11. club — for golf
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. stock — goods
  14. club — a group
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. shower — rain
  18. root — of a word
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. stock — shares
  22. club — for dancing
  23. net — after costs
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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