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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: row · cap · ball · perch · kid · bowl · stock · bound

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. ball — a great time
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. kid — to tease
  5. stock — goods
  6. stock — shares
  7. kid — child
  8. bound — obliged
  9. ball — a dance
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. row — a line
  13. row — to paddle
  14. perch — the fish
  15. bound — certain
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bound — tied together
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. cap — of ice
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. cap — a hat
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. cap — a lid

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