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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: net · root · perch · dip · ruler · land · court · bay

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. root — of a word
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. land — a country
  8. net — for catching
  9. land — ground
  10. root — the cause
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. net — after costs
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. root — of a plant
  15. land — to come down
  16. court — of a king
  17. net — in sport
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. court — for sport
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. court — of law
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. dip — to sink

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