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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: bat · chip · craft · lean · present · perch · stock · firm

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. lean — to bend
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. present — the time now
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. firm — a company
  7. firm — steady
  8. stock — goods
  9. chip — to eat
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. firm — decided
  12. craft — boats
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. chip — for betting
  15. lean — thin
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. perch — the fish
  19. present — a gift
  20. stock — shares
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. present — there
  23. craft — a skill
  24. lean — to rest against

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