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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. firm — steady
  3. stock — goods
  4. land — a country
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. land — ground
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. kid — child
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. stock — shares
  16. kid — to tease
  17. land — to come down
  18. firm — a company
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. firm — decided

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