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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: foot · shower · row · perch · bound · stock · patient · drill

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. drill — a practice
  3. shower — to wash
  4. row — to paddle
  5. foot — a measure
  6. bound — tied together
  7. stock — shares
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. perch — the fish
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. stock — goods
  17. bound — certain
  18. drill — the tool
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. bound — obliged
  22. shower — rain
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. row — a line

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