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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: mouse · season · rest · perch · stock · row · mark · cell

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. cell — in biology
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. rest — what's left
  6. season — in sport
  7. cell — a phone
  8. perch — the fish
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. rest — what's left
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. stock — goods
  13. mark — a grade
  14. row — a line
  15. rest — a break
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. mark — a trace
  20. season — of the year
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. stock — shares
  24. stock — a soup base

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