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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 120 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: pitcher · fork · mark · ball · stock · deal · coach · perch

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. ball — a dance
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. fork — in a road
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. deal — to handle
  16. ball — a great time
  17. mark — a trace
  18. mark — a grade
  19. stock — goods
  20. stock — shares
  21. perch — the fish
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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