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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: squash · perch · root · stock · foot · arm · snap · march

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. march — the month
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. march — the month
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. foot — a measure
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. stock — shares
  11. stock — goods
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. squash — to crush
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. perch — the fish
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. root — the cause
  20. march — music
  21. snap — to click
  22. squash — the sport
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. root — of a plant

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