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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: perch · row · root · stock · drill · toast · leaves · foot

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. row — a line
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. root — of a word
  8. drill — the tool
  9. root — of a plant
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. stock — goods
  12. foot — a measure
  13. stock — shares
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. root — the cause
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. row — to paddle
  21. drill — a practice
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. perch — the fish
  24. drill — army training

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