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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: nail · lash · root · row · field · patient · stock · deal

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. field — for sport
  3. field — a subject
  4. row — to paddle
  5. stock — shares
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. field — farmland
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. row — a line
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. root — of a plant
  16. deal — to handle
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. root — of a word
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. stock — goods

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