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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: straw · net · can · perch · object · stock · toast · sharp

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  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. stock — goods
  2. perch — the fish
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. stock — shares
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. object — to protest
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. can — a tin
  12. object — an aim
  13. object — a thing
  14. can — to be able to
  15. net — in sport
  16. can — a tin
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. sharp — clever
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. toast — bread
  22. net — for catching
  23. sharp — exactly
  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