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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: perch · object · root · fork · rule · stock · squash · sharp

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. perch — the fish
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. root — the cause
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. object — an aim
  8. object — a thing
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. squash — the sport
  11. rule — a law
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. stock — goods
  14. root — of a plant
  15. fork — in a road
  16. squash — to crush
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. root — of a word
  21. stock — shares
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. rule — government
  24. object — to protest

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