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

Word bank: saw · stock · cell · stick · court · chest · perch · deal

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. stock — goods
  3. saw — the tool
  4. deal — to handle
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. perch — the fish
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. court — for sport
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. court — of law
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. court — of a king
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — a box
  21. stock — shares
  22. cell — a phone
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. chest — of your body

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