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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: file · fork · root · net · stem · present · patient · last

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. last — to go on
  4. root — the cause
  5. net — for catching
  6. root — of a plant
  7. net — in sport
  8. present — a gift
  9. file — a tool
  10. present — the time now
  11. root — of a word
  12. net — after costs
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. file — a document
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. fork — in a road
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. present — there
  21. last — final
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. last — finally

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