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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: root · ground · suit · perch · bowl · content · leaves · pop

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. ground — a position
  3. pop — soda
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. root — of a plant
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. pop — to visit
  9. suit — in cards
  10. ground — crushed
  11. root — the cause
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. root — of a word
  14. perch — the fish
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. suit — clothes
  17. pop — music
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. content — the amount
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. content — happy
  24. suit — to fit

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