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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: bulb · perch · leaves · date · bank · spring · stock · row

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. date — the fruit
  3. perch — the fish
  4. row — to paddle
  5. bank — for money
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. bank — of a river
  11. spring — of water
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. bank — for money
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — for light
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. spring — a coil
  19. stock — shares
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. row — a line
  22. stock — goods
  23. spring — the season
  24. perch — for a bird

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