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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 · root · perch · stick · ground · land · board · shower

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. content — the amount
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. perch — the fish
  6. shower — to wash
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. board — to get on
  9. root — the cause
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. land — a country
  13. board — a committee
  14. root — of a word
  15. land — to come down
  16. ground — a position
  17. land — ground
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. content — happy
  20. ground — crushed
  21. root — of a plant
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. shower — rain
  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