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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.

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: degree · date · root · land · plane · stock · perch · wave

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. root — the cause
  3. degree — temperature
  4. perch — the fish
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. stock — goods
  8. land — a country
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. plane — a tool
  12. degree — an amount
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. root — of a plant
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. root — of a word
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. date — the fruit
  19. degree — from a university
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. land — ground
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. land — to come down

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