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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: chest · content · lash · can · cue · perch · net · stock

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. chest — of your body
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. can — a tin
  6. content — the amount
  7. cue — for pool
  8. net — for catching
  9. content — happy
  10. net — in sport
  11. stock — goods
  12. cue — a hint
  13. cue — a signal
  14. stock — shares
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. perch — the fish
  17. can — to be able to
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. chest — of your body
  21. net — after costs
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. can — a tin

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