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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
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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: bark · patient · rock · perch · key · net · fine · stock

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. net — for catching
  3. stock — shares
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. stock — goods
  7. fine — high quality
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. bark — to shout
  13. rock — a stone
  14. key — for a lock
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. key — in music
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. net — in sport
  20. rock — music
  21. key — the most important part
  22. perch — the fish
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. net — after costs

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