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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: perch · mark · row · pit · stock · bass · face · bound

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. bound — obliged
  3. row — a line
  4. pit — in a race
  5. pit — a hole
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. row — to paddle
  9. perch — the fish
  10. mark — a trace
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. face — part of the head
  13. bass — low music
  14. face — to confront
  15. stock — goods
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bound — certain
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bass — the fish
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. face — to point toward

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