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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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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: season · cabinet · bowl · content · key · stick · perch · stock

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. key — in music
  5. content — the amount
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. season — of the year
  9. season — in sport
  10. key — the most important part
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — the fish
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. stock — goods
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. stock — shares
  24. key — for a lock

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