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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 · mouse · mark · court · calf · present · perch · fork

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. court — of law
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. stock — shares
  10. fork — in a road
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. perch — the fish
  16. court — for sport
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. present — the time now
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. present — a gift
  22. court — of a king
  23. present — there
  24. calf — a young animal

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