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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: rush · cue · perch · bat · object · arm · stock · spring

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. bat — the animal
  3. object — a thing
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — the fish
  7. stock — goods
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. cue — for pool
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. spring — the season
  13. spring — a coil
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. stock — shares
  16. cue — a signal
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. rush — hurry
  22. spring — of water
  23. cue — a hint
  24. object — to protest

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