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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: degree · press · track · root · perch · mine · pit · stock

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. stock — goods
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. root — of a plant
  5. root — of a word
  6. stock — shares
  7. root — the cause
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. mine — for digging
  10. degree — an amount
  11. degree — temperature
  12. track — to keep track
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. degree — from a university
  15. press — newspapers
  16. perch — the fish
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. press — to push
  19. pit — a hole
  20. track — a path
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. press — a publisher
  23. track — a song
  24. pit — in a race

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