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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: bowl · row · net · ground · game · can · perch · stock

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. can — to be able to
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. ground — a position
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. row — a line
  8. ground — the earth
  9. net — for catching
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. can — a tin
  12. row — to paddle
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. perch — the fish
  17. stock — shares
  18. game — a match
  19. game — wild animals
  20. can — a tin
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. net — after costs
  23. net — in sport
  24. ground — crushed

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