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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: bowl · bank · ground · can · wind · perch · mouse · root

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bank — for money
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. perch — the fish
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. root — of a plant
  12. ground — the earth
  13. root — of a word
  14. bank — of a river
  15. ground — crushed
  16. bank — for money
  17. can — a tin
  18. wind — moving air
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. can — a tin
  22. root — the cause
  23. can — to be able to
  24. ground — a position

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