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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 120 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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. club — a group
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — the fish
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. fork — in a road
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. mine — for digging
  15. foot — a measure
  16. cell — in biology
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. stock — shares
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. club — for golf
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. cell — a phone
  24. club — for dancing

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