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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: perch · rock · date · fork · spell · stock · stand · fall

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. rock — music
  3. stand — to bear
  4. spell — letters
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. fall — to drop
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. stock — shares
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. fork — in a road
  11. fall — the season
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. rock — a stone
  14. spell — magic
  15. perch — the fish
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. date — the fruit
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. stock — goods
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. fork — a garden tool

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