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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: perch · stock · key · net · foot · scale · track · bank

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. scale — size or range
  3. stock — shares
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. net — in sport
  6. track — a song
  7. key — the most important part
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. key — in music
  10. track — to keep track
  11. scale — in music
  12. perch — the fish
  13. bank — of a river
  14. stock — goods
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bank — for money
  17. track — a path
  18. net — for catching
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. foot — a measure
  22. bank — for money
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. key — for a lock

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