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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: row · racket · stock · perch · temple · lie · mate · fan

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. mate — a friend
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. stock — goods
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. lie — to recline
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. stock — shares
  19. perch — the fish
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. row — to paddle
  22. mate — to breed
  23. row — a line
  24. mate — a partner

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