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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: wake · content · bulb · stock · court · perch · leaves · dip

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. perch — the fish
  4. court — of law
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. court — for sport
  7. stock — goods
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. content — the amount
  12. court — of a king
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. content — happy
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. stock — shares
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bulb — for light
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. dip — to sink
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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