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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 116 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: stock · snap · content · last · perch · saw · suit · present

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. stock — goods
  3. present — a gift
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. stock — shares
  6. content — happy
  7. last — finally
  8. suit — to fit
  9. perch — the fish
  10. last — final
  11. saw — the tool
  12. last — to go on
  13. content — the amount
  14. suit — clothes
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. suit — in cards
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. saw — the tool
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. present — the time now
  22. snap — to click
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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