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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. perch — the fish
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. drill — the tool
  5. stem — to come from
  6. root — of a plant
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. suit — in cards
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. stock — goods
  11. drill — a practice
  12. fork — in a road
  13. root — the cause
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. stock — shares
  16. suit — clothes
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. suit — to fit
  20. root — of a word
  21. drill — army training
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. pound — a weight

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