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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: perch · stock · bowl · prune · rock · fork · lean · lie

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. stock — goods
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. prune — to trim
  8. lean — to bend
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. lie — to recline
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. lean — thin
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. perch — the fish
  19. rock — a stone
  20. stock — shares
  21. fork — in a road
  22. rock — music
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. fork — a garden tool

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