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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ground · stock · perch · leaves · degree · racket · root · saw

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. root — the cause
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. root — of a plant
  11. degree — an amount
  12. ground — a position
  13. ground — crushed
  14. stock — shares
  15. perch — the fish
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. stock — goods
  19. ground — the earth
  20. degree — from a university
  21. degree — temperature
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. root — of a word

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