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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: foot · spring · present · roll · can · branch · patient · stock

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — to be able to
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. branch — a division
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. spring — a coil
  7. spring — the season
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. can — a tin
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. stock — goods
  13. present — there
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. roll — a list
  17. present — a gift
  18. present — the time now
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. stock — shares
  21. roll — a cake
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. foot — a measure
  24. spring — of water

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