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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: fork · stock · march · root · cabinet · dip · safe · perch

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. root — of a plant
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. march — the month
  6. stock — shares
  7. fork — in a road
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. root — the cause
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. march — the month
  12. perch — the fish
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. root — of a word
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stock — goods
  17. dip — to sink
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. march — music
  24. dip — a sauce

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