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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: bound · cell · stand · row · perch · stock · cap · suit

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. stock — goods
  4. stock — shares
  5. suit — to fit
  6. cell — in biology
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. suit — in cards
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. stand — to bear
  11. bound — certain
  12. bound — obliged
  13. perch — the fish
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. bound — tied together
  16. cell — a phone
  17. row — to paddle
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. row — a line
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. cap — a hat
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. cap — a lid
  24. cap — of ice

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