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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 120 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
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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: spell · branch · bark · squash · stock · bore · root · perch

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. spell — letters
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. bore — to drill
  5. squash — the sport
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. stock — goods
  8. stock — shares
  9. spell — magic
  10. root — the cause
  11. spell — a short time
  12. squash — to crush
  13. root — of a word
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. root — of a plant
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. branch — a division
  19. perch — the fish
  20. bark — to shout
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. bore — to tire
  24. perch — for a bird

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