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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: mouse · scale · charge · stock · perch · rock · season · bark

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — electricity
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. charge — in control
  7. stock — goods
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. scale — in music
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — music
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. bark — to shout
  15. season — of the year
  16. stock — shares
  17. perch — the fish
  18. season — in sport
  19. scale — size or range
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. stock — a soup base

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