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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: mark · perch · sharp · pop · saw · ball · stock · dip

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. perch — the fish
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. saw — the tool
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mark — a grade
  10. stock — shares
  11. ball — a great time
  12. pop — to visit
  13. sharp — clever
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. saw — the tool
  16. pop — music
  17. mark — a trace
  18. pop — soda
  19. dip — to sink
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. ball — a dance

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