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

Word bank: stock · perch · current · ground · band · net · root · lean

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. ground — the earth
  3. current — of water
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. current — happening now
  7. stock — goods
  8. root — of a plant
  9. current — electric
  10. root — the cause
  11. band — a music group
  12. perch — the fish
  13. lean — to bend
  14. net — for catching
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. ground — crushed
  17. lean — thin
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. root — of a word
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. stock — shares
  22. net — after costs
  23. band — a ring
  24. ground — a position

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