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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 120 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: stock · perch · present · vault · row · face · craft · mark

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. face — part of the head
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. perch — the fish
  5. row — to paddle
  6. mark — a trace
  7. craft — boats
  8. craft — a skill
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. present — the time now
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. face — to confront
  13. stock — shares
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. present — a gift
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. stock — goods
  18. present — there
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. vault — a safe
  21. mark — a grade
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. face — to point toward
  24. mark — to pay attention

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