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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: leaves · rest · rock · bark · fan · root · perch · stock

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. rest — what's left
  4. root — of a plant
  5. rock — music
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. rest — what's left
  9. perch — the fish
  10. bark — to shout
  11. stock — goods
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. root — the cause
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. rest — a break
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. root — of a word
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. rock — a stone

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