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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
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: row · rest · game · can · stock · perch · date · plane

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. date — the fruit
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. stock — shares
  6. row — to paddle
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. game — wild animals
  9. game — a match
  10. stock — goods
  11. rest — a break
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. can — a tin
  15. row — a line
  16. can — a tin
  17. rest — what's left
  18. can — to be able to
  19. plane — a tool
  20. rest — what's left
  21. perch — the fish
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. row — a quarrel

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