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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. rush — hurry
  3. bank — of a river
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. perch — the fish
  7. bank — for money
  8. ground — crushed
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. ground — the earth
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. stock — goods
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bank — for money
  16. ground — a position
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. stock — shares
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. wake — a trail
  24. rush — a thrill

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