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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: perch · pop · net · pitch · land · stock · root · hide

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. stock — shares
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. pop — to visit
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. land — to come down
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pop — soda
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pop — music
  14. net — after costs
  15. root — the cause
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. root — of a plant
  18. land — a country
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. perch — the fish
  21. net — for catching
  22. root — of a word
  23. stock — goods
  24. land — ground

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