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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 120 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: stock · perch · root · cold · safe · bay · row · court

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. row — to paddle
  3. root — of a plant
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. row — a line
  8. court — of law
  9. root — the cause
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. perch — the fish
  13. cold — not warm
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. root — of a word
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. cold — an illness
  21. court — of a king
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. stock — goods
  24. stock — shares

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