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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.

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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: cap · tube · root · prune · patient · stock · row · fall

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. root — of a word
  4. cap — a hat
  5. root — of a plant
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. root — the cause
  8. row — to paddle
  9. tube — the underground
  10. fall — to drop
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. fall — the season
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. cap — of ice
  17. stock — shares
  18. prune — to trim
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. stock — goods
  21. tube — a container
  22. fall — to drop
  23. cap — a lid
  24. prune — to trim

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