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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 116 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
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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: stock · safe · scale · content · rest · pit · staff · perch

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. stock — shares
  3. perch — the fish
  4. pit — a hole
  5. scale — size or range
  6. rest — what's left
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pit — in a race
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. rest — a break
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. staff — employees
  17. stock — goods
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — a stick
  21. content — happy
  22. scale — in music
  23. rest — what's left
  24. content — videos and posts

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