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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: march · fan · stock · content · wax · perch · root · racket

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. stock — goods
  3. perch — the fish
  4. root — of a plant
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. march — music
  9. root — the cause
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. content — the amount
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. march — the month
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. root — of a word
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. content — happy
  23. stock — shares
  24. fan — a supporter

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