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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. stock — goods
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mug — to rob
  5. pop — soda
  6. pop — to visit
  7. mark — a grade
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — the fish
  10. rush — hurry
  11. mark — a trace
  12. net — in sport
  13. stock — shares
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. mug — a face
  16. rock — a stone
  17. mug — a cup
  18. rock — music
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. pop — music
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. net — for catching
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. net — after costs

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