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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. kid — child
  3. kid — to tease
  4. fall — to drop
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. fall — to drop
  9. perch — the fish
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. stand — to bear
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. stock — shares
  16. fall — the season
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. rush — hurry

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