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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: perch · hide · stock · drill · sharp · stem · jam · fine

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. drill — the tool
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. fine — high quality
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. sharp — clever
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. stock — shares
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. perch — the fish
  13. drill — a practice
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. drill — army training
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. stem — to come from
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. fine — all right
  24. stock — goods

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