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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: stock · can · field · club · root · bowl · patient · rock

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. can — to be able to
  4. field — farmland
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. club — a group
  8. root — of a plant
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. root — the cause
  12. rock — a stone
  13. stock — shares
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. club — for dancing
  16. stock — goods
  17. field — for sport
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. field — a subject
  21. rock — music
  22. club — for golf
  23. can — a tin
  24. root — of a word

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