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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: saw · ground · perch · root · racket · squash · stock · pitcher

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. saw — the tool
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. stock — shares
  8. root — the cause
  9. saw — the tool
  10. stock — goods
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. ground — crushed
  13. root — of a word
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. root — of a plant
  16. ground — the earth
  17. perch — the fish
  18. squash — the sport
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. ground — a position
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. squash — to crush

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