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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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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: rest · perch · vault · bat · mark · straw · stock · pop

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. mark — a trace
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. vault — a safe
  7. stock — goods
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bat — the animal
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. pop — to visit
  14. rest — a break
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. pop — soda
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. stock — shares
  22. perch — the fish
  23. mark — a grade
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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