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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wound · net · coach · object · perch · stock · bore · bulb

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. bulb — for light
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. object — a thing
  5. object — to protest
  6. object — an aim
  7. net — after costs
  8. stock — shares
  9. net — for catching
  10. stock — goods
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bore — to drill
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. perch — the fish
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. net — in sport
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bulb — for light

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