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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 120 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
468
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 · bowl · stand · swing · perch · wound · bass · content

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. content — the amount
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. swing — in golf
  9. content — happy
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. wound — an injury
  14. stand — to bear
  15. swing — to play on
  16. stock — shares
  17. bass — low music
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. stock — goods
  20. swing — music
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — the fish
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. bass — the fish

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