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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
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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: last · stock · patient · key · perch · bowl · fan · drill

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. stock — goods
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. key — in music
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. last — to go on
  12. perch — the fish
  13. key — the most important part
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. last — final
  19. drill — the tool
  20. last — finally
  21. stock — shares
  22. drill — army training
  23. key — for a lock
  24. bowl — a dish

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