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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: file · temple · pop · perch · stock · rock · spell · root

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. rock — a stone
  3. stock — shares
  4. pop — soda
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. root — of a word
  9. spell — a short time
  10. root — of a plant
  11. file — a tool
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. spell — magic
  14. root — the cause
  15. file — a line of people
  16. pop — music
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. spell — letters
  20. perch — the fish
  21. file — a document
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. rock — music
  24. stock — goods

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