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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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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: object · stock · bat · pound · temple · bank · straw · perch

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. stock — shares
  4. bat — the animal
  5. stock — goods
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. object — a thing
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. object — an aim
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. bank — for money
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. pound — a weight
  19. object — to protest
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — of a river
  24. straw — dry grass

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