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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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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. mark — a grade
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. wake — a trail
  7. stock — shares
  8. squash — the sport
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. net — for catching
  11. root — of a plant
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. root — the cause
  15. pass — a permit
  16. mark — a trace
  17. net — after costs
  18. stock — goods
  19. squash — to crush
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. perch — the fish
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. net — in sport

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