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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 116 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
468
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: degree · stem · wind · ground · fan · patient · charge · root

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. charge — in control
  4. charge — electricity
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. wind — moving air
  9. charge — a price
  10. degree — temperature
  11. wind — moving air
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. stem — to come from
  14. ground — a position
  15. degree — an amount
  16. ground — crushed
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. ground — the earth
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. degree — from a university
  21. root — of a word
  22. root — of a plant
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. stem — a stem cell

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