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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 116 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: sharp · stock · bank · pitch · net · rash · fork · perch

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. bank — of a river
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. fork — in a road
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. pitch — completely
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. net — for catching
  9. sharp — clever
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. rash — hasty
  14. bank — for money
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. perch — the fish
  18. rash — a series
  19. stock — shares
  20. stock — goods
  21. net — in sport
  22. bank — for money
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. net — after costs

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