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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: rock · root · bass · press · track · stock · capital · patient

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rock — a stone
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. root — of a word
  6. stock — goods
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. capital — a city
  10. press — to push
  11. press — newspapers
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. press — a publisher
  14. stock — shares
  15. track — a path
  16. capital — money
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. track — a song
  20. rock — music
  21. bass — the fish
  22. root — the cause
  23. track — to keep track
  24. root — of a plant

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