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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: stock · root · rush · cell · perch · sharp · pitch · firm

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. stock — shares
  3. stock — goods
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. cell — in biology
  7. perch — the fish
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. pitch — completely
  11. root — of a word
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. root — of a plant
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. firm — steady
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. firm — a company
  20. root — the cause
  21. sharp — clever
  22. rush — hurry
  23. cell — a phone
  24. rush — to hurry

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