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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: root · mate · degree · wound · patient · current · leaves · stock

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. root — of a plant
  3. mate — a partner
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. current — happening now
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. degree — from a university
  13. current — electric
  14. stock — shares
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. mate — a friend
  17. mate — to breed
  18. current — of water
  19. stock — goods
  20. root — the cause
  21. root — of a word
  22. degree — temperature
  23. wound — an injury
  24. degree — an amount

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