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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: root · patient · safe · stock · fine · charge · trunk · fan

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. root — of a plant
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. fine — high quality
  10. charge — a price
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. charge — electricity
  14. fine — all right
  15. root — of a word
  16. root — the cause
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. stock — shares
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. stock — goods
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. charge — in control

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