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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: bay · jam · stock · bark · scale · perch · stem · lie

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. scale — in music
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. perch — the fish
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. scale — size or range
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. stem — to come from
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. stock — shares
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. stock — goods
  24. lie — to recline

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