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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: calf · perch · roll · wound · track · club · stock · toast

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. wound — an injury
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. track — a song
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. club — for golf
  7. club — for dancing
  8. track — to keep track
  9. stock — shares
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. roll — a list
  15. toast — bread
  16. perch — the fish
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. stock — goods
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. roll — a cake
  24. track — a path

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