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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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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. row — to paddle
  5. row — a line
  6. key — in music
  7. perch — the fish
  8. key — the most important part
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stock — goods
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bound — certain
  18. sharp — clever
  19. key — for a lock
  20. bound — obliged
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. bound — tied together
  24. sharp — exactly

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