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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. net — in sport
  3. net — after costs
  4. bulb — for light
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. rock — a stone
  7. lean — thin
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bank — for money
  10. rock — music
  11. stock — goods
  12. bank — for money
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bulb — for light
  15. perch — the fish
  16. stock — shares
  17. net — for catching
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. lean — to bend
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. kick — in football
  24. kick — 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