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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: content · stick · root · clip · net · bass · perch · rock

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. net — after costs
  3. clip — a video
  4. bass — the fish
  5. net — in sport
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. rock — a stone
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. content — the amount
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. clip — for paper
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. content — happy
  14. rock — music
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. perch — the fish
  18. bass — low music
  19. net — for catching
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. clip — to cut
  22. root — of a plant
  23. root — the cause
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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