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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: sharp · chip · stock · wave · bank · perch · net · wax

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. chip — for betting
  6. perch — the fish
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. net — for catching
  9. net — in sport
  10. chip — to eat
  11. bank — for money
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. net — after costs
  14. wax — to grow
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. bank — for money
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. stock — shares
  20. bank — of a river
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. sharp — clever

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